Who decided my dog is ‘too big’ for my home?

Only 11 percent of rental units in the United States allow “big” dogs – but what does that mean? Is a labrador a big dog? How about a pit bull? And why does your landlord care so much, anyway? Inspired by the story of one dog who ran afoul of an HOA rule, Clare tells Teo why so many dogs end up booted from loving homes to shelters and how advocates are trying to stop it. 

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Sources in this episode:

• Data on dog weights from Washington State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital
• Data analysis on pet restrictions in housing from the Pet Inclusive Housing Initiative, based on Smart Apartment Data
• 2025 State of Shelter Pet Adoption Report, The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement
• Pets & Housing Data 2025 Edition, Pet-Inclusive Housing Initiative 
• Interview with Dr. Jessica Bell, Veterinarian and professor at Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine
• Interview with Alexandra Alvarado, American Apartment Owner’s Association
• Interview with Ross Barker, lead of the Pet Inclusive Housing Initiative
• Interview with Tor Berg, Poochie’s dad

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