Is the animal well groomed, does the owner take care of the animal?

People being jaded in general that could lead to accidents/fire hazards and kids or animals touching the wrong thing.

She mentioned something about "discrimination" and I cheerfully told her that the person I was going to rent to was also a Section 8 tenant that also had the exact same characteristics as her.

Interesting issue, seems as though it may be similar to a service animal?

But, they're rarely party animals.

They might be breeders, or they might be animal hoarders, or they might be crazy... any way you look at it, it's an absolute NO to me. 

I really like Texas law for the most part but collections is a different animal there. 

In an attempt to offset the risk/damage that I believe the pets will cause, on average, over time, I charge the following per animal:Cats: $200 move-in fee, plus $25 per monthDogs: $200 move-in fee, plus:- $25 per month for a small dog (less than 25 lbs) - $50 per month for a medium dog (25-50 lbs) - $75 per month for a large dog (50+ lbs) Additionally, I must meet the animal, and preferably at their current residence, prior to move-in.

And blue chip markets that increase in value in the long run due to their intrinsic characteristics, while difficult to get into, will give you a better chance of securing future returns. 

Pre-screen with lots of questions about how much they smoke, how many animals, etc.