Breed Discrimination and Pet Restrictions

While organizations such as the ASPCA, HSUS and Best Friend Animal Society are making great strides in preventing and ending breed-discrimination and pet-restrictions in “pet-friendly” housing, it is equally important for owners to understand their rights and know how to best advocate their furry family members.

Homeowners, for instance, may be surprised to know that insurance companies  AllState, MetLife, Progressive and Farmer’s have breed-discriminatory policies while home insurance companies State Farm, Geico and USAA insurance companies are among those who do not have breed restrictions in their policies. Homeowners in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Maryland may be especially glad to know state law makes it illegal to not offer insurance due to breed of dog(s) owned although higher insurance premiums may exist based on breed of dog(s) owned.

Renters and homeowners with HOA responsibilities face especially problematic breed-discrimination and pet-restrictions through “pet-friendly” housing. If you’re facing breed-discrimination or pet-restrictions, make every effort to educate their leasing or housing company on how pet-friendly landlords increase profitability, why breed-specific legislation is ineffective and how “dangerous dog” bans impact public safety.  You might also:

• Create a pet resume that speaks to your pet’s history of behavior, training  and temperament.
• Take the Canine Good Citizen Test.
• Add a pet addendum to your leasing or HOA contract.
• Purchase Dog Liability Insurance.
• Talk to your doctor or mental health care provider about your pet becoming an emotional support animal. There are many reasons why a pet may become an emotional support animal and if you do not have a doctor or mental health provider to write a letter, you may consider using the services Emotional Pet Support, ESA Doctors or Certapet. Please note: There is no official database or registry for ESAs – a letter from your doctor or mental health care provider is all that’s needed to qualify your pet as an ESA. ESAs (while allowed entry into housing which is not pet-friendly and airlines) are not allowed entry into all public facilities (in contrast to service dogs) so while some sites may sell outerwear suggesting the dog is an ESA this is overall unnecessary marketing.

Get Involved and Know Your Rights

• Why Breed-Specific Legislation is Ineffective
• Public Safety and “Dangerous Dogs”
• HSUS’s Pets are Welcome Guide to Advocacy
• Tenant Resource Center’s Guide to Pets and Service Animals
• HSUS’s Information for Renters with Pets
• The Fair Housing Act (FHA) and Assistance Animals
• Reference Guide to Service and Assistance Animals (Public Spaces, Housing and Airlines)
• Reasonable Accommodations Rights in Housing for Service and Emotional Support Animals (Includes Sample Verification Letters)
• Eviction Laws by State
• Just Shelter provides a list of 700+ organizations that offer housing assistance, legal aid and more.
• Animal Law provides a comprehensive review of animal law by State.
• Related Webinars and Podcasts

Moving with Your Pet

• How to Move Internationally with Your Pet
  • US and International Pet Shipping companies include Pet Relocation, Happy Tails Travel, IPATA, and Air Animals, TLC Pet Transport and the Peer-to-Peer Transport Organization Operation Roger
• How to Move Locally with Your Pets
  • When moving, utilize the directories My Pitbull is Family, People with Pets and Abodo to find pet-friendly housing in your city.

Traveling with Your Pet

• How to Travel with Your Pet
• Pets Welcome Directory
• Bring Fido – Places to Eat, Play and Stay
• Go Pet Friendly – Stays in the US and CA 
• In addition to the sitter and walking apps Wag, Rover and Care you may find a boarding facility most fitting to your travel needs.  Learn how to choose the best boarding facility for your pet here.