HOA not enforcing ban on pitbulls

[Anonymous]

OP, before you create a dustup in your community, you may want to determine whether the HOA has the legal authority to limit a breed of pet.

HOAs often create "rules" but unless the limitation is attached to the property through amending the declaration, those rules are subject to challenge in court.

- lawyer with some experience with HOAs

[Anonymous]

Most HOA’s near me with dog rules do it by weight not breed. Amtrak does it same way.

Also some limit amount of dogs.

Other issue is lawsuits related to asthma etc.

One complex in NY found that they could not enforce rules inside units only common areas. Their rule no dog can walk on common property. So when go to walk dog have to carry it outside. You can have a 100 pound dog

[Anonymous]

There is no breed know as pit bull” so the problem is any dog with remotely similar bully characteristics is lumped into the same category.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi there. I'm the "dummy" mom.

It was a nip, and I blame the relative's training of this animal moreso than the animal itself. However, they will now never be in the same place as my child.

Previously, every PB or pittie mix that I have encountered has been very sweet.

I am not going to paint all dogs of one breed with the same brush.

Please reconsider.

I'm sorry to tell you that yes, all pit bulls must be "painted with the same brush" and it has nothing to do with the temperament of each individual dog. I know some pit bulls can be sweet.

But ALL pit bulls, as a breed, are physically built with jaws that are designed for a TYPE of bite that is especially dangerous to humans. Even a sweet dog can bite once, and with a pit bull, that one time can be fatal to the person bitten. Are you open to accepting that the issue is NOT "all pit bulls are evil" but "all pit bulls, if they bite, will inflict more serious damage than other breeds due to the nature of their bodies and the way they bite and hold on"?

It's a crucial distinction. It's not a value judgement on the nature of any one individual dog (though pit lovers will insist that's the case). It's a fact of the breed's biology that one bite, one time, can be fatal, even if that bite is delivered by a dog who is by nature a "nice" dog.

"Whether a pit bull bites more or less than another dog breed is not the point. The issue is the acute damage a pit bull inflicts when it does choose to bite. The pit bull's "hold and shake" bite style causes severe bone and muscle damage, often inflicting permanent and disfiguring injuries. Moreover, once a pit bull starts an attack, firearm intervention may be the only way to stop it." https://www.dogsbite.org/dangerous-dogs-pit-bull-faq.php

Pit bulls do not necessarily bite more often than other breeds, but when they do bite, the results tend to be much worse, yes, even if the dog has been perfectly sweet up until that second.

Pit bulls bite far less than beagles. The difference is that a beagle can bite several times and draw blood, but they bite and release, so at most you need a few stitches. Pit bull bites do much more damage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi there. I'm the "dummy" mom.

It was a nip, and I blame the relative's training of this animal moreso than the animal itself. However, they will now never be in the same place as my child.

Previously, every PB or pittie mix that I have encountered has been very sweet.

I am not going to paint all dogs of one breed with the same brush.

Name another domestic breed that kills people when not trained to do so?

Oh, for God's sake, any breed of dog can kill someone. Golden retreivers have killed people. I remember a news article a while back about a Jack Russell that killed an infant. I don't think that makes my Jack Russell a vicious killer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is no breed know as pit bull” so the problem is any dog with remotely similar bully characteristics is lumped into the same category.

American Pit Bull Terrier is definitely a breed.

[Anonymous]

It's like rescues. They all claim their obvious pits are "lab mixes."

[Anonymous]

Not sure how passionately you feel, but if your HOA has a master insurance policy, you may be able to write to the insurance company notifying them of the dog. Some insurance policies will not cover certain breeds and, heaven forbid something serious happen, they could void the entire policy if it was discovered that the board knew about the dog but didn't act. Again, might be extreme but you know the situation better than DCUM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no breed know as pit bull” so the problem is any dog with remotely similar bully characteristics is lumped into the same category.

American Pit Bull Terrier is definitely a breed.

The problem is the reason that this breed has such a bad reputation is that they lump any dog that looks like a “pit bull” and reports it’s a pitbull if it bites someone. American Pitbull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier ,the American Bully, even Mastiffs, Cane Corso, etc. I see being called a pitbull. Other breeds would have inordinate amounts of attacks if they were including 5 or more breeds of dogs. I have an American Staffordshire terrier and strangers call him a pitbull all the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you sure it’s a pitbull?

+1 "Rumor" would not be enough for me to file a complaint. I'd ask about the breed. If it's something like 10% pit (or any of the breeds that term usually covers) I wouldn't worry about it.