The Doggie Diaries: Doggie Discrimination

Now that we're married, Anna and I are almost ready to start looking in earnest for a pooch. But first we have to find a new apartment. You know the song: "First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes an apartment run by a landlord forward-thinking enough to allow dogs."

We're ready to say goodbye to our tiny apartment in Hoboken, because it doesn't have nearly enough room for all the loot we acquired at the wedding our future canine friend. We also want to be closer to Anna's work, a solid 30-minute drive outside of New York City. Suburbia, here we come!

Some landlords and real estate brokers we've come across aren't too keen on pups. Plenty of desirable apartments don't permit pets, or else only permit cats. (If anything, I'd think they'd be less likely to allow felines, as cat pee is absolutely impossible to get out of carpets and floors.) One broker said that if we want a dog we will have to settle for a "bottom tier" place.

Hogwash! According to a study commissioned by the Pet Savers Foundation a few years back, it turns out that people with pets actually make for ideal tenants. They stay longer, are willing to pay more and don't cause nearly as much damage to units as, say, children.

Adam Goldfarb, director of the Pets at Risk program for the Humane Society of the United States, told me that many landlords are concerned not just about damage, but about potential liability issues from dog bites. But he contends that the benefits of permitting pets far outweigh the potential pitfalls.

"Renters with pets tend to be more responsible and reliable, and if they're happy where they're living they may stay there for a long time," he told me. (Concerning landlords' preferences for cats, he speculates, "I believe they think of cats as small, quiet and low maintenance, and since many are indoor only they won't cause liability issues. But I think this has more to do with perception than reality.")

He suggests folks consult rentwithpets.org, a site run by the Humane Society that dispels myths on these subjects and offers tips on finding "animal-friendly rental housing." Give them a call. After all, only you can prevent doggy discrimination.

For gruff's sake, give a dog a home! Have any of you encountered doggie discrimination?

Tags: apartments, doggiediaries, Humane Society, HumaneSociety, pet-friendly