Article
and Video Courtesy of
NEWS
CHANNEL 5 -- wptv.com
West
Palm Beach
Reported
by: Jay Cashmere
Photographer: Bob Leak
They are inseparable from sun up to sun down.
One man and one dog carrying out a healing prescription.
"This dog has become my life, I cannot
function without him, cannot function without him," says
Richard Wengroff.
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Watch
VIDEO
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Richard
and Shelia Wengroff are the proud owners of 10 month old
"Ozzie." The shar pei, lab mix is medically prescribed by
Richard's doctor and psychologist for depression and anxiety. Just about
the time "Ozzie" arrived so did a controversy.
"Horrible, just a horrific experience, I have
never in my entire life experienced people like this," says Sheila
Wengroff.
Sheila speaks of Century Village's Wellington
"K" Condo Association which has a "no pets in condo"
policy. They've been told "Ozzie" must go which hasn't settled
well in Apartment #289. The couple hired a lawyer, wrote the Attorney
General and turned to David Shapiro who heads up an organization called
"Citizens for Pets in Condos."
"The
condo associations are acting in such a way as
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almost to
deprive people of a needed medication, it would be as though they are
saying you cannot take a certain medication," says David Shapiro.
The Wengroff's are one of hundreds of cases across
South Florida where condo boards and medically prescribed pets are
clashing.
Shapiro
has gathered 15 thousand signatures, has been to Tallahassee and has
watched more and more people challenge condo laws hoping for a reasonable
reform of existing laws to keep "prescriptions" in place.
"This
is my medicine, this is everything that I need, my sons are off on
their own, my wife works, he is my salvation," says Richard
Wengroff.
And he will continue to be, he says, with or
without the support of their condo association.
If
you would like to find our more about Citizens for Pets in
Condo's" just
log onto their website. |
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