I was surprised to see this thread back on the boards after all this time. But since we're discussing pit bulls again...they are banned in our apartment complex. However, people bring in dogs that are obviously pit bulls, or strong pit bull mixes, with a veterinarian's letter that attests that the dog is a "mixed breed terrier." The apartment office says that there is nothing they can do about it, and that they have to rent to these people. This is in a large, pet-friendly apartment complex with many dogs. What we do as tenants is make each other aware of these "mixed breed terriers" and be careful to keep our dogs away from them when they are being walked. The latest pit bull in my building is a beautiful, strong, young female. She seems to be okay around people, but hates any other dog, whether big or small. She does a lot of barking, growling, and lunging when she sees another dog. The owner has stopped walking her with one hand on the leash and one on his cell phone. And I've complained about the dog before, and gotten nowhere. I don't know that there is a solution. We all just keep our dogs at a distance and cross our fingers. The dog's owner tried to introduce the pit bull to another (stupid) tenant's little Havanese, and the pit bull lunged and bit at it, but the two owners pulled the dogs apart, and the little one was okay. I have stopped carrying pepper spray, but I'm going to get a new cartridge and start carrying it again. I guess this is just one of the realities of living with a dog--one of the things you have to be careful about.
