"Pets/No Pets allowed." Property owners/landlords, what say you?

Some time ago, while reading through The Pet Press (a free, monthly paper with a wealth of information for pet lovers that you can pick up in vets’ offices or some animal shelters), I noticed a rental ad for a vacancy in an apartment building in a fairly upscale neighborhood.  The ad highlighted “Must have pets.”  I was curious why a renter must have a pet to live there, but because I was not apartment-hunting, I turned the page.  A short time later, I met a woman who asked if I knew of any apartment buildings that would allow her to keep her dogs.  I happened to have The Pet Press in my car and I showed the woman the ad.  While I stood by, she called the listed number, expecting to hear that the monthly rent would be more than she could afford.  Actually, the rent was quite reasonable.

The woman appeared surprised that she would be able to afford to live in a nice area, in a well-maintained building, and have her dogs with her.  She questioned the landlord why he wanted to rent only to pet owners.  He replied that responsible pet owners tend to be the best tenants; they tend to be respectful of the neighbors; they are more mature; since the pets are like family, the renters go out of their way to make sure their pet(s) are well behaved to avoid an eviction notice; and they are likely to remain in the building so there are fewer apartment turn-overs.

After bidding adieu to the woman, I did not give much thought to how many pet-friendly rentals were available until, while I was volunteering at a shelter, all types of pets – young and old, big and small, even purebreds – were filling the kennels more than the norm, as if flood gates had been opened and hundreds of animals were led to the shelter.

You guessed it.  The recession hit.  More families than anyone could imagine were being forced out of their homes and had to give up many of their possessions.  It is a sad reality that there are hundreds of families that consider a pet as just another possession that can be easily disposed of, and daily they line up at the shelters ready to dump their pet(s), with no concern if it were to live or die.

Yet, there are the hundreds of people who consider their pet(s) part of their family and often the only loyal companion they have in their life.  How do you tell someone who was forced to sacrifice their home that they will have to also sacrifice their beloved pet in order to have a roof over themselves?  How does someone choose between a roof and condemning their pet to the pound where it is 50/50 that it will be adopted or killed?

I would like to believe that property owners/landlords just do not know about the staggering number of innocent pets killed in our shelters, because there are too few apartments/houses that will allow them.  Perhaps this knowledge will be an inducement for more dwellings to welcome pets so that fewer will be put down.

I am aware of a few reasons why pets may not be allowed in a building or a house:  a pet could be destructive, dogfights could break out, tenants might be annoyed by barking dogs, etc.  Is there a guarantee that a dwelling will not be rented to a family who has a colicky baby; or a young child who runs back and forth and bounces a ball for hours on end, and draws with crayons on the walls; or a teenager who blasts music and slams doors; or an adult who smokes and could care less how that affects the neighbors?

I have no doubt that horror stories abound that have involved resident-pets.  (I know that there are worse stories that have involved disrespectful neighbors.)  Yet, pet-friendly establishments can look to a homeowners insurance policy, a waiver, and a contract that a prospective renter must agree to sign, which would give a proprietor an option to tell the tenant to leave the property if their pet is a disturbance.  (For the record, size/breed restrictions do not necessarily assure the suitability of a pet in a particular property.  The Mastiff, Great Dane, Greyhound, and St. Bernard are just four of the larger breed of dogs considered well suited for apartment living.  Of course, as with any pet, a responsible pet-guardian is expected to provide proper exercise and training.)

Perhaps consideration can be given to tenants who apply to become “fosters” to a dog or cat, which will afford a rescue organization or the shelter time to find a permanent home for the animal.  If the fostered pet appears to have issues that cannot be controlled, it can be returned to the rescuer.  (Homeowners, if you have thought about getting a pet but you are not ready to commit to its lifetime, fostering is an option you should consider.) 

As a society, we are “going green” to help save our environment.  Why not “go pet-friendly” to help save the lives of innocent animals who have such a positive impact on our lives?  At least, find out from those who do manage pet-friendly properties how it works for them.

Property owners/landlords and compassionate individuals, what say you?