After reading several posts on animals in rentals over the last few weeks, I wanted to address the idea of tenants using animals as a source of income.

Not talking about dog walking or pet grooming but rather home breeders who have one or more , usually dogs, that they breed as much as possible and sell the puppies.

Myself, I don't care for this. There are plenty of available pets at the shelters. Weather others allow pets or not, that's your choice, but to me this is simply a money business for breeders. Little different from farming.

I only accept animals that have been spayed or neutered. That prevents animal breeding.

Not to mention if you limit the number of animals having more of them would be a lease violation.

Local "kennel" laws often restrict how many animals can be on the premises to hold down exactly what you're talking about: mom 'n pop "puppy mills" that create a surplus of unwanted critters that get neglected and dumped if they don't sell.

I love puppies but little baby puppies are dirty and destructive. They aren't born house trained and they are dedicated chewers weeks before they go to new homes.

Also,my insurance agent says "no home based business where customers come to the house"

I operate like Lisa-FL, only fixed animals. Photo vet records help control tenant desire to have visiting pets, registration fees slow down the high animal count, insurance naming owner on policy helps spread the liability.

Breeders are represented by the same bell-shaped curve as landlords. Are some breeders irresponsible puppy mills who don't care about anything but cranking out more dollars? Yes just like some landlords are irresponsible and greedy and perfectly content jeopardizing the lives of tenants by doing subpar electrical work and not providing smoke detectors.

Richard,

My first thought was normal pets who give birth. In all our homes this has only happened a few times. The kittens or puppies were gone once weaned. The pound will take them because the cute babies are adopted instantly.

I know some amateur “breeders”, folks who have one pure bred dog or cat and impregnant it for babies to sell and hopefully make a few bucks. These animals are treates like royalty.

Multiple animal breeders are very limited by zoning in my town. I THINK my city has a 3 dog limit so the folks need to move to the country to have more dogs. So ask your local pound staff and zoning office.

We had a small farm rental and I did not care what animals they broight. We DID charge for cleanup beyond normal such as the dead animals.

PS The InHomeVisit you show you the impact on the property IF they are breeding now.

Some folks think it's more normal to have a small male and female dog and let them do what they do. I got an adorable Shih Tzu from a couple who did that after the male got into the street and was hit. My rescue was 7 when I got her. Some people cage them like farm animals. I would take someone with a pair who occasionally have a litter. I saw a natural dog family like that and the yearlings help the mom with her new litter. I saw one stop a spat between two puppies by just standing over them and arching her neck, wagging her tail stiffly and looking at them down her nose. Precious

I've shown dogs all of my life. I've bred many champions and I've owned and loved rare breeds of dogs. (I currently have a Bracco Italiano)

Even with the most responsible of breeders, breeding very carefully and taking sterling care of their animals, raising puppies is dirty and stinky. Puppies are destructive.

I most certainly would not trust a tenant to raise puppies in a clean and damage free way. Well raised puppies are inside the house being properly socialized. That means they are pooping and chewing inside the house.