I've heard of certain breeds being banned in certain parts of the world. I dont agree with this! Do we have to wait till a certain breed is about to be extinct before we realize how dumb that is?

Feedback,

Here in the UK we have had the Dangerous Dogs Act since 1991 , specifically aimed at the Pit Bull, Japenese Tosa, Dogo Argentina and Fila Brasileiro. Basically meaning that if you are found breeding, selling , importing or even owning one of these dogs OR even any dog that comes particularly close to their descriptions you can have it taken from you and destroyed. Lately a lot of spotlight has been put on this legislation here. Some people are all for adding more breeds such as the Rottweiler and the Staffordshire bull terrier and of course the other side of the coin there are the sensible dog owners that agree that there should be NO breed specific legislation and that each case of a dog acting dangerously should be dealt with as a seperate occurance and not the entire breed held accountable! Punish the deed and not the breed! Too many good dogs end up in the wrong hands and unfortunately this is what it all leads to ...

This probably is not what you originally meant but before I bought my house I almost rented an apartment and at the time I was really interested in adopting a retired service Malinois. So I asked if my soon to be dog could live in the apartment or if they don't allow dogs. I was told they don't allow aggressive breeds. I told them there was no such thing and then he starting naming breeds. Boxers, Pit bulls, German shepherds, blah blah blah...lol Only aggressive dogs exit, not aggressive breeds.

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This probably is not what you originally meant but before I bought my house I almost rented an apartment and at the time I was really interested in adopting a retired service Malinois. So I asked if my soon to be dog could live in the apartment or if they don't allow dogs. I was told they don't allow aggressive breeds. I told them there was no such thing and then he starting naming breeds. Boxers, Pit bulls, German shepherds, blah blah blah...lol Only aggressive dogs exit, not aggressive breeds.

This is because many apartments carry universal insurance for all their units and the policy bans these breeds. I can think of several very aggressive dogs right now, and none are those they are targeting to ban!

In this area we have no breed restrictions (though I would like there to be a test to breed pitbulls....waaaaaaay to much overpopulation of the breed in this area, not enough responsible homes). I'm in the Northeast USA...our adoptable shelter dogs are usually adopted within days of coming to the shelter...with the exception of pitbulls....our shelters are filled up with them and they tend to be deemed "unadoptable" really quickly to clear them out.

However the apartment complexes in this area have a banned breed list a mile long. I know it starts with pit bull terrier (NOT the staffie however, since if you have paperwork saying staffie you can have one), boxer, mastiff (argentino, bull, neopolian, , dalmation, bulldog (english, american, and french), german shepherd, doberman pincher, rottie, presa canario, chow, or mix of any of those breeds....then it has a bunch of random ones. The breed I"m suprised isn't on there is the husky and malimute since every case of a dog eating a wall here comes back to someone's cooped up husky. No malinois on that list though (which is great cause that'll be my next breed in two years) and they left out the dutch shepherd too.

That being said at my complex I got Ryuk approved (shepherd mix) and we have a lot of black "lab mixes" that look um, rather purebred pit to me >_> if they get caught they do get kicked out.

This may be an unpopular idea but IMO a privately owned apartment building can ban any dog for any reason. It's their apartment after all. I lived in an apartment complex once that didn't allow aquariums or birds. Again, their apartment, their choice. When my parents had an apartment that they rented out they allowed dogs but no cats that weren't declawed after we had a renter whose cats destroyed a stair railing. However you feel about landlords it's their job to protect their investment. While we may say "My cute little angel would *NEVER* eat the carpet, dig through the drywall, or bite the neighbor's kid resulting in a lawsuit to the property owner" how many times does this need to happen before the property owner just says it's not worth the risk?

 Quote: melissa thom

TWhen my parents had an apartment that they rented out they allowed dogs but no cats that weren't declawed after we had a renter whose cats destroyed a stair railing.

Declawing cats is a barbaric practice. I am not sure it's OK for business owners to cater to customers who mutilate animals. I don't see how damage inflicted by animals is different from damage inflicted by tenants, the landlord could always charge for repairs.

As a whole, "refusal of service" is not a right, apparently. Look at the most recent piece of legislation refusing coverage based on person's medical condition.

Refusal of service in housing is also not a right. You can't tell someone I won't rent to you because you give me a bad vibe or I don't like who you are. You have to have a reason that doesn't relate to who they are or identify with. As far as extracting damages from someone who trashes an apartment beyond the paint job good luck. You will need it and a decent lawyer.

As far as declawing, however you feel about it it's a legal practice just like debarking, docking, and ear crops. We decided to be kinder than saying no cats and give someone the option of guaranteeing us that we wouldn't have to repair the railing or window shades due to cat damage. The other option of course is renting elsewhere or getting rid of your cat.

I felt so put off with the apartment complex because they weren't banning dogs. They were banning certain breeds of dogs. I totally understand their interest in preserving their community, but I find it unfair that an entire breed be banned. I don't really feel like dogs are naturally aggressive. Some have unbelievable prey drive but with a good leash, collar, and something fun to chew, that's fixed. I almost feel like you should have to present your dog to them and let the property management decide based on your control. I would even pay a little more in rent for "extra" insurance in case of anything. I'm willing to listen if someone has more info on "aggressive" breeds.

 Quote: Spencer Martin

I almost feel like you should have to present your dog to them and let the property management decide based on your control.

That's how my apartment building in Colorado Springs worked. They also had a checklist of stuff you had to agree to like picking up poop, having your dog contained in a crate when you were not home, your dog being on a leash outside, and keeping your dog from barking at all hours. Not agreeing to these terms (a two strike and you're out) ment that they required you to get rid of your dog, they wouldn't let you out of your lease. They were one of the few complexes in the area that allowed dogs of any breed/size.