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Finding Pit Bull Housing

May 07, 2009, 7:40PM MT

By Fran Farrell

Are you and your pit bull looking to rent a house or apartment? Get the right information from a woman who knows!

Are you and your pit bull looking to rent a house or apartment? Get the right information from a woman who knows!

By Jessica Smith, Best Friends volunteer

It is not easy to find a rental that will accommodate a pit bull. In today’s tough economic times, it is becoming even more arduous. People are losing their homes and are unable to find anywhere to take their pit bulls, so, many are ending up in shelters.

Shelters are not a good place for dogs, especially family dogs that once had a home and a family of their own. Before getting any dog, but especially a pit bull, you truly need to examine your future and make a smart decision on whether or not you will be able to take care of this dog for his entire life. Dogs are a commitment, and pit bulls are an even bigger one.

When you decide to move, make sure to allow yourself enough time to research what is out there. Most commercial insurance policies do not cover pit bulls or any other exploited breeds, but some do. Most apartment complexes do not allow dogs over 30 pounds. With this in mind, options are drastically narrowed down, but there is still hope so do not stop there!

You do not want to have to hide your dog, so be open and honest with landlords. Tell them you have a pit bull and request that they meet him or her so they can see for themselves that you have a good dog. If you are currently renting and your landlord has approved your dog, ask for a referral letter.

You have to think in the future
If your rental agreement clearly states “No pit bulls” and your landlord finds out that you are harboring a pit bull in your apartment, you will undoubtedly be given you two options: 1- Get rid of Fido or 2- Move out. Unfortunately, many people choose the first option, but if you are smart about this process from the beginning, you will never be faced with that ultimatum. If there is a possibility you might be moving, start looking for pit bull friendly rentals now!

Research, Research, Research!
This cannot be stressed enough. Use your resources. Talk to other pit bull owners. Go to a local shelter and see if they have any recommendations. Post an ad on Craigslist or another site. Reach out! Speaking for myself, and a million other pit bull lovers, if someone came up to me and said “I’m going to have to give up my dog if I can’t find somewhere to live with him,” I will drop everything I am doing to help find you a home.

Personally, I posted an ad on Craigslist when I was looking for a pit bull friendly rental and I received an abundance of responses! I was descriptive about my dogs’ breeds, ages, names, history and included my price range. I also attached a couple pictures of the dogs. Most of the responses I received were for houses that were farther than I wanted to drive but, hands down, I would have taken a longer commute to keep my dogs.

Be innovative
If you find a rental home that is perfect for you but they don’t allow pit bulls, ask them why. If their answer is due to insurance, ask them if they would be willing to let you get a quote from someone who does cover the breed. Why not? If there is an increase in the cost of insurance, offer to pay the difference with your monthly rent. Or offer to get your own renter’s insurance policy. I recently obtained a quote from State Farm for a policy and they will cover ANY dog as long as it has not bitten anyone and has not been trained for attack purposes. I have to add; it was very inexpensive coming in at $125 per year which is only about $10.50 per month!

Train your dog!
Take your dog to obedience classes. Walk your dog, run with your dog. If your dog is well behaved, it will make a difference. Happy hunting!

For more information links:

• Join the Stop BDL community for more information on how you can help put an end to breed discrimination.

• Learn more about breed bans at the National Canine Research Council.

• Learn how to find pet friendly housing: How to Find Pet-Friendly Housing.

• Moving?: Read Taking Your Pet When You Move.

Stock photo by Molly Wald, Best Friends staff
Posted by Fran Farrell, Best Friends staff

Comments

Posted May 09, 2009, 5:58PM by marla

THANKS FOR THE GREAT INFO.

I WOULD NEVER LEAVE MY GIRL BEHIND.

Posted May 07, 2009, 7:50PM by edouglas

This is a great piece. Haven't had to deal with this personally, but have certainly been thinking about it a lot lately. Much thanks!

Posted May 08, 2009, 9:42AM by cajunbiker

Great article! Very helpful and very timely. Thank you!

Posted May 12, 2009, 5:59PM by nicol

Please, all animal lovers sign the following petition against Denver’s breed ban. Denver has slaughtered thousands of dogs, not because they have done anything wrong, but simply because of the way they look. Armed officers crash into people’s homes and seize the dogs at gunpoint and euthanize them. This senseless massacre of innocent family dogs must be stopped.

Please sign and circulate far and wide:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/spend-no-dollars-in-denver-colorado

Please also see:

http://www.denverkillsdogs.com/

http://www.roverlution.org/

Posted May 14, 2009, 12:50AM by tigifred

Wonderful article, I would only add that many dog owners, pittie or not, have had success completing Canine Good Citizen (CGC) training. That certificate can go a long way towards trust and goodwill with landlords

Thanks for writing this.

Posted May 16, 2009, 9:42PM by Desertponder

I've been in this position several times. Its not easy to find rentals that will allow dogs at all let alone pit bulls.
I've found that putting the word out to friends and family that you are looking for a place to rent with dogs and pit bulls usually turns up some places to consider. Dealing with individuals rather than property management groups is more successful.
One also has to be willing to live in housing that may not be exactly well maintained or modern. I've lived in a couple of not so nice places in the past just to ensure that I have my beloved dogs.

Posted May 09, 2009, 4:44PM by muincat

Also, check out the suggestions from Doris Day Animal League at www.ddal.org. They also have an excellent booklet called Best Friends for Life that can be downloaded from their site or I also have it posted in the Resources section of the Oregon Neighborhood here on BF (posted with permission). A lot has to do with the rights of disabled and elderly people to have companion pets but there's also excellent general information on how best to approach a potentially new landlord regarding your pets.