Pets In Social Housing - New Guidance

The Pet Advisory Committee, (PAC) has launched a new guide for housing professionals. It is aimed at social housing policy officers and enforcement staff, encouraging them to adopt a pet-friendly policy in providing social housing.

PAC, a coalition of animal welfare charities; veterinary organisations; and environmental health, local authority and trade organisations, points out that many housing providers do not explicitly state their pet policy in tenancy agreements. The coalition says:

"..this 'blind eye' approach increases the likelihood of problems for both residents and housing staff.

The guide highlights important points to consider when introducing and implementing a pet policy, including:

New advice regarding 'status dogs'

How to deal with unauthorised pets and tenants who ignore pet policy rules

How to tackle common problems such as fouling, noise and damage

Detailed guidance on how many pets should be allowed in any given home

Recent case studies of housing providers where successful pet policies have been put into practice

Andrew Stunell MP, Chairman of PAC:

"Many housing providers believe a blanket 'no pets' rule is the easiest route to take, especially when it relates to the keeping of cats and dogs. Yet aside from the trouble involved when tenants keep pets without permission, research shows that pets help their owners develop social skills and increased responsibility as well as providing real psychological and physiological benefits through regular exercise or interaction with others." In 2009 Wrexham Council worked with Dogs Trust to promote responsible dog ownership to their tenants by setting up a voluntary responsible dog owner agreement. The agreement is offered to all new and existing tenants and includes clauses on not allowing their dogs to cause nuisance, including fouling and barking. As part of the agreement dog owners are eligible to access free microchipping, paid for by Wrexham Council; and a £30 neutering offer funded by Dogs Trust and carried out at participating local veterinary practices. The initiative was promoted to residents through the council’s newsletter and to staff through training workshops delivered by Dogs Trust. With 23% of UK households owning a dog[2] this scheme could potentially help up to 3,220 of Wrexham’s 14,000 tenants. A free copy of Guidelines on Pet Management for Housing Providers has been sent to every Local Authority and Housing Association in the UK and is also available to download at www.petadvisory.org.uk. [1] Pathway survey of over 1,100 housing directors and officers from local authorities and housing associations across the UK, 2004. 2 PFMA 2009 ENDS Notes to editors The document can be downloaded from www.petadvisory.org.uk The guide includes: - example pet policies and contract wording - advice on dealing with unauthorised pets and tenants who ignore the rules - detailed guidance on how many pets should be allowed in any given home - information on pets with owners in hostels or sheltered accommodation - ‘status’ dog guidance - advice about pets and the elderly The Pet Advisory Committee comprises Blue Cross, British Small Animal Veterinary Association, British Veterinary Association, Cats Protection, Dogs Trust, Federation of Companion Animal Societies, Feline Advisory Bureau, The Kennel Club, National Office of Animal Health, Ornamental Aquatic Trade Association, Pet Care Trust, Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association, Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund, RSPCA and SSPCA. For more information, images or interviews please contact Krystyna McGrath Dogs Trust Press Officer 0207 833 7616 krystyna.mcgrath@dogstrust.org.uk Krystyna McGrath Press Officer krystyna.mcgrath@dogstrust.org.uk Dogs Trust - A Dog Is For Life Visit us online: www.dogstrust.org.uk | Blog | DoggySnaps Facebook | Twitter | Bebo | MySpace |YouTube | Flickr or call us on: 020-7837 0006 _________________________________________________ Privileged or Confidential information may be contained in this message. If you are not the addressee (or are not responsible for delivery of the message to the addressee), you may not copy or deliver it to anyone. In such case, you should destroy this message and notify us immediately. Opinions, contractual commitments, conclusions and other information expressed in this message are not given or endorsed by Dogs Trust unless otherwise indicated by an authorised representative. As Internet communications are not secure we do not accept legal liability for any loss arising from unauthorised access to, or interference with, any Internet communication by any third party, or sustained as a result of any software viruses. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] Pathway survey of over 1,100 housing directors and officers from local authorities and housing associations across the UK, 2004. [2] PFMA 2009 Registered Charity Numbers: 227523, SC037843 and CHY 16218