Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
So I'm looking to move from NJ to Orlando (or nearby) Florida. The frustrating thing is trying to find an apartment or townhome that accepts large breed dogs. I'm so sick of the flat-out IGNORANT "Breed Restrictions" because some dog owners don't know how to take responsibility for their dogs. I read on some sites that (paraphrasing) due to some breeds not being able to exist in a social environment, basically all large breed dogs are prohibited.
I guess you can say I'm a radical because I think any dog can live harmoniously with people and other dogs of all breeds. Three of the most (people and dog) friendliest dogs I've ever met are "pit bulls". Stop me if you've heard this before, but my dog wouldn't hurt anyone or any dog - I got pictures and videos to prove it.
Before I turn it into one of those threads, I just wanted to get it out to people who I'm sure will understand. I just wish people would learn to understand that large dogs can be great with children and small dogs can be vicious attackers. It's how each is raised.
It might help a little if you can get a letter from your vet attesting to your dog's temperment. Other thing might be offering to carry liability insurance that covers your landlord. I''ve found it easier to get a landlord of a house to rent to large breed owners than an apartment landlord. We rented for a number of years with 3 and 4 dogs while my husband's job and mine took us all over the country. Its will take a lot of work on your part and I fully agree that breed specific legislation is nothing more than breed profiling and hysteria.
like lttp said, you're definitely preaching to the choir here!
unfortunately, you're going to run into these things anywhere you go. there are some pre-emptive things you can do, like the things va-cat mentioned. you could also look into getting your dog cgc (canine good citizen) certified, or therapy dog certified. a landlord might be impressed with the steps you've taken and make an exception for you. this definitely has a better chance of working if you're dealing with a smalltime landlord rather than a big management company, and a house rather than an apartment.
hopefully you can just find a place that doesn't have such stupid restrictions, though.
It might help a little if you can get a letter from your vet attesting to your dog's temperment. Other thing might be offering to carry liability insurance that covers your landlord.
Great ideas, thanks!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Va-Cat
I fully agree that breed specific legislation is nothing more than breed profiling and hysteria
Has this ever been challenged? I'm not big into politics and stuff like this, and I'd have no idea how to get it started, but I'd gladly be a part of a movement that worked to change breed specific legislation...
like lttp said, you're definitely preaching to the choir here!
unfortunately, you're going to run into these things anywhere you go. there are some pre-emptive things you can do, like the things va-cat mentioned. you could also look into getting your dog cgc (canine good citizen) certified, or therapy dog certified. a landlord might be impressed with the steps you've taken and make an exception for you. this definitely has a better chance of working if you're dealing with a smalltime landlord rather than a big management company, and a house rather than an apartment.
hopefully you can just find a place that doesn't have such stupid restrictions, though.
It's funny when I was in college and I first got Jewell, I was in an apartment complex that took all dogs. Jewell's first two friends were a pitbull and a doberman!
Quote:
Originally Posted by flkingfan
Keep searching and don't give up! When you do find a place you should highly recommend them to other dog owners on sites like this.
I will! For an area that is rich in dog parks, I'm a little surprised there aren't more large breed friendly rentals (although I'm not sure I think they would be related though).
Yes, it is a challenge. I have a 95lb. GSD. I live in the WPB area and was fortunate to find a complex that does not have a weight restriction and only restricts pure-bred pitbulls. I don't know what kind of dog you have but if it is a pit, it might be a while before you are able to find something. Most people I know with pits either say that their dog is a mix or rent privately, usually a house.
But you are absolutely right, it's flat out bigotry. Unfortunately, the insurance companies are the ones that have actually instigated the discrimination. Many owners have no problem themselves with breeds but cannot rent to people with certain breeds b/c their insurance company refuses to cover them. It's absolute bull****.
It will be laborious to search classifieds to find the right match, but I have no doubt of your resolve. Ideally, you'd find a private owner to rent from. Money talks... offer a larger than normal deposit. When I was a single Mom, I paid a huge security deposit to get into a 55+ community and everyone just looked the other way. Or, if the owner doesn't have a fenced yard, they may be talked into that as part of the value proposition. Just thinking out loud, but I am thinking that you can attack your search on a number of 'out of the box' proposals.
Really good advice from other posters here. Good luck and don't worry, it WILL work out!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
