A homeowners association often has the right to make rules and regulations regarding pets. For instance, they could set up a no-pet rule for all residents in the community. They could also focus on a specific type of pet, such as allowing people to have rabbits or fish but banning them from having dogs.
In some cases, an HOA may also set up rules about how many pets a person can own. Having one family dog may be allowed, but it may be prohibited to have more than that. This is done to prevent people from breeding dogs in the neighborhood or having an excessive number of pets that they are unable to control. It can cut down on safety issues, and it can also reduce the odds of noise complaints and conflicts with neighbors.
Keeping people safe
In some cases, the HOA may want to focus on keeping the residents safe from dangerous dogs. This is especially true if there are a lot of families and young children in the neighborhood. Because of their size, children are more susceptible to fatal dog attacks, especially involving dangerous breeds.
As such, the HOA may allow people to have something like a pug or a golden retriever but could ban breeds like Rottweilers or Pit Bulls. These breeds are involved in a disproportionate number of fatal attacks, so the HOA may feel that it’s prudent to ban them from the community—even though individual owners will likely claim that their specific animal is safe and has never caused a problem.
Unfortunately, violations do happen regarding these types of pet regulations. HOA administrators and staff members need to know what legal steps they can take to enforce the regulations.