It's Time For The Government To Step In On Pet-Free Rentals

​www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-humane-society-surrenders-1.6651136

Shelters all across Canada have reported an explosion of surrendered pets with some full to capacity. The reasons vary with inflation being the recurring theme, but one of the most difficult perils pet-owners are facing are a lack of affordable, pet-friendly rentals. In the story I linked, the PEI Humane Society has seen a 134% increase in surrenders versus last year, and it is being attributed to a lack of pet-friendly rentals. This is not limited to PEI. In fact, I reported on a similar story from Montreal, Quebec, where pet-friendly rentals are scarce and shelters are feeling the pressure. Why are landlords getting away with banning pets?

Landlords banning pets is not new, but it is becoming increasingly the norm to see that pets are not allowed in a lot of newer rentals becoming available. This puts insurmountable pressure on pet owners who struggle to find reasonably priced, pet-friendly accommodations and forces them in to a position where they may have to decide between a roof over their heads, and their furry family members. Not only do renters feel the pressure of trying to find affordable rentals, but they're also being faced with the stress of worrying about their pets and whether they'll find something that accommodates them. This is wrong on so many levels when there are solutions to landlords' concerns about renting to pet owners.

First of all, a good old contract and emergency deposit works wonders. Landlords simply have to ask for a deposit to cover any possible damage a pet might cause. In fact, the contract could also include that the renters take full responsibility for damages caused by pets. Photos of the rental are taken and compared upon vacating the accommodation to determine whether any damage was caused. Why are landlords not trying to work with people when it's as simple as a contract that binds renters in to taking responsibility? Secondly, why are they getting away with this? We cannot be advocating for adoptions when we know that there's no available accommodations for pets. We're literally adopting out animals knowing they'll end up back in the shelters. It makes absolutely no sense.

It's time for the Government to step in imo. Who doesn't have a pet anymore? I mean, c'mon! Animals are suffering at the hands of landlords who stubbornly ban them. Those searching for accommodations are put in to extremely stressful conditions as a result of having a pet as well, making searching for accommodations needlessly exhausting. There are solutions to the concerns that landlords have and I believe the government needs to step in and ban landlords from not allowing pets. It's ridiculous that in a time where more families have pets than those that don't, that a ban on pets is even allowed to exist. 

Let's be honest. I've got 6 nephews and I lived with two of them for a while. Kids are destructive AF. If a landlord is going to ban pets but allow children, it's almost comical if you consider how naughty and destructive children can be. If we're not going to ban children, then how are we banning pets when they are equally capable of destruction? This anti-pet rhetoric is causing shelters to overflow with animals, rapidly deplete their resources, and force workers to work longer to care for the animals. Shelters are struggling to care for the animals being surrendered and if we do not put an end to pet bans, this will continue.

Like I said, it's time for the government to step in and stop this nonsense. There are solutions that protect landlords and also make accommodations accessible to pet owners. There's no excuse for pandering to landlords and actively working against pet owners & shelters. No one should be put in a position where they have to consider surrendering their furry family in order to find a roof over their heads. It's completely unacceptable.

​What are your thoughts?

HAPPY VEG