Simmering debate over dogs has resident feeling hounded

NORTH PORT -- Gerri Leonardis dreads opening her mailbox.

Harbor Cove, a mobile home park with strict rules regarding pet ownership that sits just beyond North Port's western edge, has sent her numerous letters scolding her for her dog's barking, for walking her dog on the wrong street and for having her dog tied to too long a leash in its own yard.

Her community has even asked her to leave because of her dog, a dachshund named Gretta.

And last year, Harbor Cove filed for arbitration against Leonardis through a state agency. The parties settled in mediation, and Leonardis, who has lived in the community's no-pet section for two years, won the right to keep her dog.

But she's had enough.

"I can't live here anymore," said Leonardis, who has been warned twice about her dog since the settlement was signed in August. "I can't live with neighbors like this."

While no-pet zones in such communities aren't uncommon, the war inside Harbor Cove -- a manufactured home community of people ages 55 and up -- is notable both for its duration and its intensity.

The debate here has lasted more than a decade. And while some residents here say it's not a big deal, many others refused to talk on the record for fear of retribution.

Recent events have included the vandalizing of "No Pets Allowed" signage and, in the ultimate form of passive-aggressive defiance, some dog owners have refused to pick up their animal's waste.

Indeed, the community's administration is getting several complaints a day concerning dog waste and noise. One resident recently complained about a neighboring dog's waste found in his garden, and another resident was upset about dog waste left on the shuffleboard court.

The mess has led to stricter rules about where residents can and can't walk their dogs. Dog walkers are not allowed to venture into the grassy common areas or on streets in the community's designated no-pet section, said Harbor Cove Manager Kay Conner.

"People have a right, one way or another, whether they live around pets or not live around pets," said Kay Conner, Harbor Cove's manager. "We just ask for cooperation."

Experts say keeping the peace is critical when you have a community like Harbor Cove, which consists of 805 families clustered together on 16 streets. Strict enforcement of a community's deed restrictions help keep people in line.

But for Leonardis, getting Gretta helped pull her out of depression.

The 63-year-old had been diagnosed with reflex sympathetic dystrophy, an incurable condition which affects the nerves in her foot.

Leonardis, a hairstylist who has been widowed twice, said she couldn't walk and became lonely. Although she bought her home in the no-pet section of the park, she said she saw other residents with pets and didn't think twice about getting Gretta.

"She's my right-hand girl," she said. "Without her, holy smokes. Just the love and affection she gives me, she's just a lot of company."

But shortly after Leonardis brought Gretta home, her community sent her several letters, warning her to get rid of the dog. When she didn't comply, they insisted she move, even though she couldn't walk at the time, she said.

Leonardis refused and Harbor Cove filed arbitration papers with the state Department of Business and Professional Regulation. The parties went into mediation. Leonardis, armed with a doctor's letter stating the health benefits of dog ownership, won the right to remain with Gretta – for now. The settlement also says if Gretta continues to be a problem, Leonardis will have to get rid of her.

Conner said she wouldn't comment about the case or the details of the settlement agreement.

Meanwhile, it hasn't been easy keeping the peace in Harbor Cove. Conner recently posted six signs in the no-pet section, which includes 199 homes, reminding residents and newcomers that pets are not allowed on those six streets.

Just a few days after the signs were posted, someone spray-painted over the one near the community's clubhouse.

The community has posted on its local station, Channel 57, a strict reminder: "Pets not permitted in or/on the common areas. Thank you. Manager."

"We are trying to find a place in this community where we can find a pet-friendly area," Conner said. "We don't have a whole lot of choices."

Leonardis said she feels the office is gaining ammunition to come at her again.

"I can't live like that anymore," she said. "I'm having a hard time selling because this is a hard time. But I just want out of here."

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