Move over Crazy Cat Ladies of New York, a West End Avenue tenant may just have you beat. The Post reports that court papers have been filed by a building owner against 71-year-old tenant Jacqueline Bartone, calling her apartment a "zoo" and listing the pets that reside with her -- including three dogs, several reptiles and cats, "and as many as a dozen birds, including an African Grey parrot and a macaw parrot."
Bartone and her human roommate (her husband) swore under oath there are "only" three dogs and five birds with them in the one-bedroom, where they have lived for 41 years. They suspect their current $1,043/month is why the landlord is trying to run them out.
The building's management agency says they were shocked by the "nonlivable condition" (which the couple denies) but neighbors are showing their support of their animal-loving neighbors by writing letters. The couple even has one from The New York Times' Ethicist Randy Cohen.
Sometimes pets undetected in an apartment for a period of time can be grandfathered into a lease. Late last year another 71-year-old woman was threatened with eviction in the West Village for having two cats in a no-pets apartment building, but the appellate court ruled she could stay. Similarly, in 2004 a landlord threatened to evict a 7-year-old girl's dog who was suggested by a therapist and helping her cope with depression.
Photograph of the Zen Hideaway for pets
