This is a petition to make it illegal for apartment owners in the state of Washington to limit the breed of dog you can have.

I firmly believe that the increases in stray dogs in shelters is due to most apartments not allowing specific breeds of dogs. Examples would include pitbulls, Siberian huskies, Rottweilers, Doberman pinschers, etc. These dogs are also some of the most common stray dogs and I believe the cause of this is landlords believing these dogs are "dangerous breeds". As someone who grew up around these "dangerous" dogs I can confidently say that these dogs are some of the most loving breeds of dogs on the planet. 

Studies show that pitbulls are 2nd in both of the most naturally friendly dogs and the most tolerant dog lists behind Golden retievers on both lists. 

There is a lot of common myths about pitbulls that are spread by various people that cause fear of these loving dogs.

MYTH: Dogs of certain breeds are more dangerous or likely to bite than others.

THE TRUTH: Breed has nothing to do with it. A peer-reviewed study found that nearly 85 percent of dog bite fatalities were from unaltered dogs. Other factors that contributed to bites were abuse or neglect, tethering for long periods of time, and lack of socialization with people and other animals. 

Myth: pitbulls have locking jaws

THE TRUTH: There's no such thing as a dog with a locking jaw. 

MYTH: Pit bull terriers are more aggressive than other dogs.

THE TRUTH: Aggression is not a breed characteristic or personality trait, and is not specific to any one breed of dog. The American Temperament Test Society, which provides a uniform national program of temperament testing for dogs, has found that pit-bull-terrier-like dogs passed the test at a higher rate than many other dog breeds, including golden retrievers and border collies. While Pitbulls rank the highest in medical costs associated with dog bites due to their muscular body and strong jaws, they are not inherently aggressive without external influences of their environment. 

MYTH: Pit bull terriers are not good family dogs and that’s why you see so many in shelters.

THE TRUTH: Pit-bull-like dogs are actually some of the most popular types of dogs in America. According to Vetstreet.com, the American pit bull terrier is one of the top three favorite breeds in 28 states. Because pit bull terriers are so popular with unlicensed breeders and criminals, they are being overbred for profit, under socialized, and thrown away when they no longer serve a purpose. These factors, along with lack of breed education, have led to an influx of pit-bull-like dogs in shelters. The key to keeping the bully breeds safe and out of harm’s way are mandatory spay/neuter regulations, education, and stronger penalties for backyard breeding. Without proper socialization, training, and treatment, the bully breeds can not be the ultimate family dog that they so long to be once again. 

All of these facts were found on: https://pawmettolifeline.org/myths-vs-fact-pitbulls/

The fact of the matter is that pitbulls themselves are not inherently violent but rather they are trained to be violent by their owners or are made to be violent by the environment they're in usually due to abuse or neglect. 

Another fact is, pitbulls are some of the strongest dogs in the world by body size, which is why they're often used as fighting dogs. They are not inherently violent dogs and are usually the opposite.

Because of these dogs actually being very loving dogs, I think it should be illegal for apartment owners and landlords to ban their tenants from having these dog breeds as pets. In my own eyes, saying a specific breed of dog is violent is the same thing as saying one race of humans are violent. These bans on dogs for being "violent" cause the number of these specific breeds to be the most common in shelters and on the streets. If these bans are made illegal, I believe the amount of dogs in shelters will lower significantly. I'm hoping to make this a law in washington state for now and hopefully in the future it could become a federal thing