Carpentersville may allow more dogs per home

When Pat Wolford moved into her Gleneagle Farm townhouse on the west side of Carpentersville two years ago, the real estate agent told her she could have two dogs.

It wasn't until she closed on her purchase that Wolford, 61, learned of a village ordinance prohibiting more than one dog per home in a multifamily unit.

Forced to make a decision, Wolford sent her 15-year-old Labrador/border collie mix, Bootsie, to live with her daughter in Algonquin.

"If I had known I would not have moved in," Wolford said. "My dogs are all I've got."

Now, Wolford has her home on the market, in large part she says because she cannot keep Bootsie and her 5-year-old Pomeranian-cairn terrier mix, Daisy, in the same house.

But Bootsie soon could return home permanently since the village board Tuesday indicated it would support a change in the ordinance to allow two dogs per condominium or townhouse.

"I support it wholeheartedly because, number one, I am an animal lover and, number two, it is healthy for animals to have friends," Trustee Judy Sigwalt said. "If the owner takes care of the animal and cleans up and picks up outside, then there should not be a problem."

Trustees are expected to vote on the amendment at the next board meeting.

Last month, about a half-dozen residents signed a letter asking trustees to reconsider the village code that limits the number of dogs per single-family home to two, and to one for apartments or condominiums.

"A lot of people would like a second pet as a companion for the other dog," Wolford said. "It is companionship for the dog and the owner."

But even if the village does change the law to allow additional dogs per home, Trustee Kay Teeter said the final decision on the maximum number of dogs per unit lies with the subdivision's homeowner's association.

A representative from Gleneagle Farm did not return calls for comment Thursday.