This Florida Landlord Will Only Rent To Large Dog Owners (And Pit Bulls Are Preferred)

Pet-friendly residences can be hard to come by, but pit bull-friendly rentals seem next to nonexistent. One Florida landlord is doing her part to change that, though, by opting to only rent her house to someone with large dogs — and she's giving preference to tenants with pit bulls!

Meet Jade Rouzeau, the proud owner of two pit bulls who happens to be putting her three-bedroom ranch in Jacksonville up for rent. As Rouzeau told "Today" in an email, it isn't that she dislikes cats or small dogs, she just doesn't anticipate their owners will have all that much difficulty finding a rental that allows their pets.

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"While we appreciate their interest, we politely decline to rent to them," Rouzeau said.

Many large breeds, including pit bulls, Staffordshire terriers, German shepherds and Doberman pinschers, are on restricted lists and find themselves blacklisted from rental properties. Sadly, the lack of housing options permitting these so-called "dangerous" breeds to live there often results in the dogs being turned over to shelters. But Rouzeau hopes that the public interest in her pit-friendly rental will encourage other landlords to consider accepting tenants with large dogs.

"In addition to inquiries about renting the house, we get a flood of emails, texts and calls from people just thanking us for looking out for our fellow pit bull parents," Rouzeau told "Today." "It’s almost as though it’s a secret society, an immediate understanding of what it's like to have one of these dogs."

If you're looking for a pit bull-friendly rental, the Minnesota-based nonprofit My Pit Bull Is Family maintains a list of housing options that don't discriminate against the breed.

First Photo Credit: pandabearphotography via Flickr