[ImUneducated]

I'm sure many of you are aware about the media attack on pitbulls, and the breed specific legislation (BSL) that for some stupid reason is spreading around the nation...

I currently own an american pitbull terrier, and am hoping to relocate to Las Vegas early in the 2009 season. I'm unsure if I'll be able to buy a home right away, so I may have to end up renting for the first year or two while getting on my feet.

Is las vegas generally a friendly town towards these animals? Is it easy to find places to rent that allow them? I know "pitbull fighting" is a problem ANYWHERE it's happening, and vegas being the betting town it's known for - I'm kind of under the assumption it's worse there.

Any information on this topic would be great, as researching on google is overrated.

[aqualung8705]

A lot of gang members have pit bulls, so you have your work cut out for you. Also, there are some good dog parks here in Vegas, separated into small, medium, and large dog sections. KEEP YOUR DOG IN THE LARGE DOG SECTION. I don't care a flying fig if it's an angel at home, it doesn't belong in the small dog section. I've seen these "angels" "play" rough with small dogs, my own (3 Italian Greyhounds) included. I'm sure that there have been attacks. I was at Desert Breeze Dog Park a couple of weeks ago, and saw a good number of these slope headed mouth breathers who were too lazy to walk the extra couple hundred of yards to their section. If you want to add to the breed's reputation, STAY IN THE PROPER SECTION.

[Chest Rockwell]

You will have a tough time renting with a pit, unless you pay a very large deposit or live in an tough area, where having a 'guard dog' is more common.

You may want to reconsider moving until you can afford to buy or finding a good home for your dog first.

[guinnessjim]

rent from an individual rather than a 'company'. talk to the landlord. as a back up, get certification that your dog is not aggressive (there is a test that can be done..if you can't find info on this i can ask around for you)

look on craigslist.

i know there is an apartment complex near dog fanciers that accepts big dogs (pretty sure they do not have a breed restriction). take a look for pitbull clubs or bully breed clubs....might have more specific info for you (esp. re: that personality test).

i had very little problem finding a place to live (rent from private owners)...and one of my dogs is an american bulldog (115lbs). very often mistaken by people as a pit (short haired, well muscled, big headed dogs all get called pits)...it's amazing how many times i get the "man, that is a giant pit!" or the like. (actually a surprising amount of people are so ignorant/misinformed re: breeds that my dane/ridgeback mix get called a pit occasionally as well...again, short hair, big head, well muscled).

Aqua: while i agree w/ you that they should be in the large dog pens...really? why the hostility and condescension? you could have phrased that a lot better, man, and without the CAPS and anger toward someone who just asked a question.

**on a side note, i was at Desert Breeze a couple of times over the past month (had to be out on that side of town in the AM for vet appts): as far as i am concerned, the people there (at least in the large pen area) have no right to use the dog park. the place was full of land mines w/ owners just sitting around watching their dogs crap and not picking it up. of the maybe 10-15 people i saw there, only one person in two days (other than myself) picked up after their dogs. sad to see people taking a public service (aka a free dog park) for granted. funny thing is a group of women were having a conversation that at one point touched on decline of personal responsibility...

[aqualung8705]

Sorry, Jim. Chalk it up to being very tired, and a lack of sleep. I did a lot more walking than I'm used to yesterday at the Sin City Ink Fest. The last time I was Desert Breeze there a bunch of big dogs in the small dog section, and time before that a large dog aggressively chased my little girl, Queen (she's an itty bitty Iggy), who jumped into my arms. It just makes me mad when people can't be bothered to take their dogs to the proper section. There's no problem at the other parks that I go to.

[desertsun41]

LV does not have a Pit Bull ban like all major cities in Ohio, San Francisco, Denver, San Antonio and many pending ban laws like in NYC.

There are some apartment complexes that advertise big dogs ok but they exclude Pits. I know almost all campgrounds in the USA have banned them.

Go ahead and blame the dog owners, blame the breed. But you can never ever deny the exceptionally high amount of maulings and deaths from Pits. It dont matter if the dog has a bad owner, the dog is the one doing the killing.

Nothing wrong with loving the breed but you have to accept the negative response you are going to get from others. Call it discriminating against the breed if you wish. If you want that dog then you have to accept it all.

I know so many apartment buildings including all the major managment companies. None that I know of accept Pits.

Your best chance is a single family detached home. Even there expect to pay a hefty damage fee deposit. Your luck may be that there are so many many vacant homes on the market that some home owners will rent to 6 dead bodies if they can pay the rent.

[guinnessjim]

Originally Posted by desertsun41

There are some apartment complexes that advertise big dogs ok but they exclude Pits. I know almost all campgrounds in the USA have banned them.

please cite a source on this. this is not at all true in my experience!

i had heard a rumor that KOA's had placed a ban (hardly "almost all campgrounds in the USA"), but i never really camp at those as i tend to like a bit more solitude (so i have no personal experience). i could find no mention of the ban on their website.

i know for a fact that there is no breed-specific ban w/in the US National Park or the US National RA system or w/r to BLM land (i just scoured cites looking for anything re: a breed ban).

DS41: please don't state generalization as a fact unless you know them to be accurate...perhaps the term 'many' or 'numerous' as opposed to the 'almost all'

**i was finally able to find that some KOAs do enforce breed restrictions (KOA Campgrounds Are Pet Friendly (http://koa.com/petpolicy/ - broken link) aka pits, rotts, dobies) but it is a campground specific nature based on insurance...still not close to the claimed "almost all".

[guinnessjim]

Originally Posted by aqualung8705

Sorry, Jim. Chalk it up to being very tired, and a lack of sleep. I did a lot more walking than I'm used to yesterday at the Sin City Ink Fest. The last time I was Desert Breeze there a bunch of big dogs in the small dog section, and time before that a large dog aggressively chased my little girl, Queen (she's an itty bitty Iggy), who jumped into my arms. It just makes me mad when people can't be bothered to take their dogs to the proper section. There's no problem at the other parks that I go to.

no worries Aqua...i do agree w/ you that people need to be more responsible w/ their dogs (esp. if they have big dogs) and that at parks were there are specific pens based on size the rules need to be followed (after all, the parks are for everyone and i understand the concern of a dog getting hurt).

[ToasterStrudels]

I am renting with Camden properties (CamdenLiving.com) and quite a few of their properties allow dogs as long as you pay an extra $75 (I think that's what it was) deposit. If you need to list "breed" on the app/lease (and this goes for anywhere) you can put Staffordshire Terrier. That's a pit's technical name (Staffordshire Bull Terrier, but you can def. leave the "Bull" part out if you think it sounds better), and having worked at a PETCO while in college, I know that many, MANY owners of pits will refer to them as "Staffies". You can even say, if asked, that it's the "show cousin of the pit bull".

As far as Camden I am loving them so far, super friendly, excellently maintained property, etc. I didn't choose a "dog friendly" complex, but I did list my bird on my lease, and they never even verified that it was what I said it was or anything like that.

Make sure you go to the LVPD site and look up crime data for the apartment locations, I was about ready to sign with Oasis Bay but then found out a car was stolen from their parking lot the night before... although with your pit in the apartment you probably don't need to worry about burglars, lol.

[aqualung8705]

Queen usually faces down big dogs, but this one was pretty rough.