Sorry premature hit the send button.

It,s a "New Wave of Thinking". (Trend)

you allowed it so you need to fix it.

Just because they are allowed to have "service" or "companion" animals, does not relieve them of their responsibility of owning a pet. This is what I do to protect myself and others from dangerous, noisy or untrained pets -- aka: service/companion animals:

1) I must be provided proof from the pet's veterinarian that the "animal" has had it's vaccinations. I also require the tenant and veterinarian to provide a picture of the animal with a full description. Proof of payment to the veterinarian (check or credit card).

2) Dogs in my City have to be licensed every year. I want a copy of the dog's current valid dog license.

3) The tenant must have renters insurance covering the dog if it bits or attacks someone. I need to be named in the renters policy that they will cover me if I am sued because of the tenants dog biting someone.

4) The dog can not be dangerous, vicious or a know bred that harms or causes massive injury -- such as a pit bull with jaws that crush and tear.

5) I do not allow puppy's that are not trained. They will bark non-stop and pop all over the place. Unless there is someone who's going to be home all day and night with the noise barking puppy, it's got to go! Other tenants need to enjoy their piece and quit.

6) If the dog is not loving and instead is a terror ready to attach anyone, it's not going to be allowed in my property. As the owner and repair person, I need access to the unit. I have been attached by tenants who forget to lock up their dog when an appointment has been set. One dog bit me and ran outside through my legs and then went to attach a tenants cat who was resting in the sunlight. That cat was a 22 pound fighting machine and kicked the the dogs behind. The dog needed medical attention and I evicted those tenants for having a dangerous dog the attached people and other pets.

I'm still doing animal agreements with SDs and ESAs. This includes vet paperwork. I just don't charge them.

You may not require Service or Emotional Support Animals to be neutered unless it is required of ALL animals by state or local law/ordinance.

I also think your suggestion of asking for "perfectly healthy" is likely to get you into trouble actually. If a veteran with PTSD has an Emotional Support Animal that happens to have hyperthyroidism (which is common and very treatable in animals), do you think you're going to get away with denying them because they didn't pass your "perfectly healthy" requirement?? Have fun in court.

- John...

This post was about a tenant who decided to get a dog and is pretending it is an emotional support or service animal. No one in their right mind would turn down a vet with a service animal.

Now, here are the tests that you can require.

IDEXX Diarrhea Panel costs $275 at my local vet. Identifies which of 8 bad bacteria are in a dog's stool. Several of them are transferrable to humans: Clostridium Perfringens, Clostridium Difficile and Campylobacter Jejeuni. Since 80 percent of dogs have Clostridium Perfringens you can pick and choose which dog you will accept with the issue. You can claim that children and other dogs play on the grass and you don't want these bacteria in the building. The Clostridium last for five months on hard surfaces.

Rabies vaccine or a titer. The titer tests dog's blood for level of rabies vaccine/antibodies. This is for old dogs who might die from a rabies shot or sick dogs but you really don't want sick dogs.

If you have already accepted a dog in a rental you could add the vaccine for Kennel Cough which is highly contagious amoung dogs.

I am going to make this list for myself and hand it to anyone who applies. We can ask for neutered cats so I am sure we can ask for neutered dogs only.

This is only for people who do NOT have a real service dog like a blind person or a person with seizures or a hearing assist dog.

This is a gray area and we are being forced by dishonest tenants to take dogs on new carpeting and in buildings that would just not be good to have dogs. I am going to make this part of my rental criteria going forward.

AllyM: You missed my point with the example. You can't have it both ways. You can't say that you'd take the vet with the ESA that fails your "perfectly healthy" test, but not the gut that you THINK is faking it with the same paperwork.

That is why this doesn't work. It doesn't solve your problem. It is illegal because you're still clearly discriminating against SOME of your applicants based on you thinking that they are faking.

You can't say "this is only for people who do NOT have a real service dog" -- because that would be based on your OPINION of who is "real" and who isn't. Again, what you are suggesting is illegal -- period.

(Or were you using your psychic ability to determine which people are faking their animals?)

- John...