Because the backyards are so small, even a single dog is hard on the real grass (concentration of urine in a small area scalds the grass).

I know you had dealt with the topic: a registered medical dogs.

Most Hard money lenders are going to require 20% of cost so if you have that plus reserves then that is by far the best bet.If this Is for real and they are not just trying to get a thousand bird dogs to pay them a 795 up front fee for their inspector they probably pay 100 bucks to drive out and look at and fund very few deals ( like many mortgage scams) .. then these can be pretty nice set ups for you to gain experience and build your resume'I would also hit Mark off line he is a very experienced licensed Broker in that area and one who knows the investor side of the coin

Also, do you give any different considerations for cats versus dogs?

The tenant has a few other people that I am not aware of living in the unit and also have two dogs.

Interestingly, the most popular dog breed across all three cities is the Labrador retriever.

Maybe you bird dog and find a deal you can pull off with a partner and make 1/2 the profit.  

. - Be careful not to let the "tax tail" wag the dog.

As an aside, we purchased using a bird dog.  

multiple streams of income and not just one, for starters -- Robert Kiyosaki, Warren Buffet, snoop dog, vanilla ice rapper, Will Smith, Rockefeller family has multi generational wealth that the family will never have to worry about money.