Martina Marchand’s 6 year old pit bull named Tina Marie, died in March of kidney failure. Tina Marie was Marchand’s service dog and she wants to get a new service dog, but her landlord is threatening to evict her if she does. “I’m lost. I physically need the dog,” Marchand said during an interview in her living room this week. “I’m very upset. I’m very sad.” Its not like Marchand signed a no pets clause on her lease. In fact according to her lease she is allowed one cat and one dog in her apartment there are no restrictions on the size or breed of the animal. She just wants a dog which will be trained and socialized to go with her everywhere and help her if she falls.
In a letter dated March 29, 2011, to Marchand, the landlord wrote that she cannot replace any pets in her apartment. “I am sorry of your loss of your dog, but as stated, there will be no replacement of any animals,” Federico wrote. “If you require an animal, you must have legal documentation of this requirement. No animal will be allowed until this requirement is met.” Federico wrote that “If any unauthorized animal is found on the premises, this will constitute grounds for eviction.”
The landlord wanted proof that any dog Marchand owns is a service dog. Marchand said she had her physician write a letter to the landlord stating the reason why she needs to have a service dog. In the letter from the Doctor to the landlord on April 12, 2011, Marchand’s physician, wrote “She needs to have a service dog due to her frequent falls and must be able to bring her service dog with her due to this disability”.
Marchand filed a complaint in March with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which then forwarded the complaint to the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination. Barbara Green, MCAD spokeswoman, said Monday the agency is “actively investigating” Marchand’s case.
Marchand said she wants to adopt another pit bull as a service dog, and plans to train the dog at Lloyd’s Animal Medical Center in Stoughton. “They’re behind me all the way,” she said of the Stoughton veterinarian.
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