I harp on this Pit Bull thing a lot, but recently, I’ve been getting more and more frustrated with housing in relation to the American Pit Bull Terrier. The issue mainly comes to light in my recent walks through the West side of Kalamazoo. The west side isn’t a super fancy place (though there are some gorgeous houses there). There are a lot of houses for sale or rent, not uncommon, and a lot of people with pets, more specifically – big dogs (like mastiffs and labs).
Lately, I’ve been having a lot of issues with my apartment. I know that I wrote a post on how much I like it and my new Ikea furniture, but like many things in life, that has changed. So, I’ve been looking for a new place to live in Kalamazoo. I’m not in a position to buy a house, but I would like to live somewhere different. After walking (and walking, and walking) in the neighborhood that I am interested in, I found a cute 2-bedroom apartment for rent. It was tucked away behind West Main – closer to campus than where I currently live, and close to my friends. What’s the issue? The landlord. A quick email conversation on a Sunday morning let me know really quickly that he was a) open to dogs (even large dogs), and b) flexible on the rent and utilities. This was great! I was getting excited until he told me that he doesn’t allow American Pit Bull Terriers.
WHY NOT? Probably because society is afraid of the breed, because the breed has caught a bad rep from people who thought that it would be a good idea to fight the dogs, or because of the racial, cultural, or socioeconomic status of the people who typically own these dogs (i.e. low-income, non-White people — or minorities). Basically, everyone is scared, and instead of putting rules in place to stop the discrimination by landlords, insurance agencies, police, etc. they just let their fears dictate where entire classes of people are allowed to live.
Isn't he a cutie?
I think that’s a complete crock. People should be fighting this blatant, obvious, borderline ostentatious discrimination. Your fear shouldn’t be able to tell me where I can or cannot live based on the choice of the four-legged companion I choose to own. If that were the case, no one should rent to anyone with a large dog, or a dog that has bitten someone, or a dog who barks at people. All dogs should just be banned! I’m being melodramatic so that you get the point.
After all of that complaining, I do have a real suggestion: just make it fair. If you’re a landlord and you allow dogs (of any breed or size) to reside with humans in your rental property, try this:
* Require liability insurance for the dog. This would cover the landlord and tenant if the dog bites someone or causes different types of damage.
* Require pet owners to register their pets with the State of Michigan (which is a legal requirement anyway), and show proof of vaccinations (also a requirement for other pet-related activities, like boarding or entrance into dog parks).
* Meet/interact with the dog. If you don’t like dogs, don’t let people with dogs rent from you (duh). Renting to people who live such different lifestyles than your own will eventually just make you bitter, and a tool to deal with. Thus, increasing the likelihood that the tenant will disrespect you, your time, and your property. If you think that there’s a real issue with the dog or breed, put the animal through a temperament test. Every SPCA, Humane Society, or Animal Rescue has access to a professional organization that can implement the assessment. You can even make the potential renter pay for the test.
*Request proof of training. There are a lot of certification programs for dogs that are by-products of existing training programs. PetSmart or PetCo both have “good behavior” certificates for dogs upon completion of their training program. Mr. K9 dog training club in Chicago has a special training program specific to American Pit Bull Terriers. My dog went through it, and he’s great.
All of these suggestions should make for more responsible pet owners, and landlords who are more comfortable renting to dog-owners of any breed. Plus, it levels the playing field for everyone regardless of race, gender, socioeconomic status, location…whatever.
Disclaimer: I don’t want to argue about the history or stigma attached to what Pit Bulls have done in the past, or irresponsible pet owners. I know that the dogs could bite a person (as could any dog). I also am aware that Pit Bulls are very strong dogs. I’m saying that responsible dog owners shouldn’t be punished because people are scared of what they think may happen. More to come.
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