The $20,000 Doghouse

Most dog owners know that if they ever plan to keep their dogs outside for an extended period of time that it is necessary to buy or build their pets a dog house. The costs of these dog houses are usually reasonable, between $20 and $200, depending on tte quality you seek. Now while it is usually better to go above and beyond what is average, I know of one doghouse that seemed, at least to me, to cost a simply exorbitant amount: $20,000.

Yes, my cousin, Michael Chassis spent over 20 grand on the doghouse he built for his 9 year old Labrador Retriever. The house is located in the front yard of Chassis' property (in front of Chassis the man's house) and is over 1000 square feet, bigger than some people's apartments. The doghouse has 2 stories, carpeting and central air and heating. The furniture, although obtained from various thriftstores, was made for humans and is by no means sparse: King David (the name of Chassis' Labrador Retriever) sleeps on his very own California King sized bed, fully furnished with sheets, blankets and pillows.

Chassis built the house after he bought the property, in late 2003. Construction of the doghouse took place shortly after construction cleared up on his own 6 bedroom, 4 bathroom human house on the same property. When aked why he felt the need to build such an expensive house for his dog instead of just buying an igloo, Chassis responded "Well, it just didn't seem fair that I should get a brand new house and he should just get some ratty old plastic igloo. I mean, he's not just my dog, he's my neighbor."

And while their mail still gets delivered to the same address, sometimes it certainly does seem as if the two houses are owned by separate entities. At times, when visiting King David in his doghouse, Chassis will have pizzas delivered (to the doghouse). While most delivery boys simply assume that the doghouse is just a guest house placed unusually in the front yard, it is not a stretch to say they are surprised when they discover the long metal chain nailed to the front door of the dog house that is sometimes connected to King David's leash, a stark reminder that King David does indeed live, in the doghouse.