Frustrated residents of a St. Augustine neighborhood say their community has gone to the dogs thanks to short term rentals– quite literally.
A chaotic dog attack outside one of roughly ten STRs along a stretch of Twine Street this month has sent resident enforcement concerns spiraling.
“This could have ended much worse,” the complainant said in a letter to city officials. “We deserve safe, livable neighborhoods, not ones compromised by absentee owners and unenforced ordinances.”
She recounted the incident to The Citizen after broaching the matter at this week’s city commission meeting during public comment, saying the fracas took place at 5:30 p.m. on her block.
The woman said three dogs escaped from the backyard of an STR and set upon her and her two leashed dogs as they went for an evening stroll.
She said two small dogs suddenly ran out from the backyard and began jumping on one of her leashed pets.
DOGS INVADE PONTE VEDRA BEACH HOME, KILL PUPPY
A third dog, described as a medium-sized bully mix, then joined the fray, circling and lunging at them.
The resident’s neighbors, who happened to be nearby in their car with their two small daughters and dog in the backseat, came to her aid as she kicked at the larger dog to fend it off.
The resident said one of her dogs was limping after the incident, though no open wounds were found.
She noted in correspondence to city officials that the attackers have not been confirmed to have up-to-date vaccinations, despite a request for documentation submitted to the property manager.
The scene grew increasingly frantic for the girls sitting in the car after two of the loose dogs suddenly jumped into their vehicle and onto their own dog in the backseat.
The kids were not harmed.
The property in question is listed as “pet-friendly,” but photos submitted by the complainant show that it lacks a secure gate or fence. The victim noted to The Citizen that more STR listings are touting pet-friendly accommodations, adding urgency to the issue.
Instead, patio chairs had been used as a makeshift barrier to the backyard, allowing the dogs to roam into the street, she said in her complaint.
Code enforcement officials told her that pet policies fall under the discretion of the property owner or manager and are not directly governed by the city.
In her correspondence, she called for a formal probe into potential animal control and code violations at the home and stronger and more consistent enforcement in residential zones impacted by short-term rentals
The sudden profusion of STRs in recent years, she said, has prompted many exasperated homeowners in her neighborhood to head for the exits.
