Wednesday 8 February 2023
Charity Dogs Trust says it is receiving a "record number of enquiries" from people being forced to re-home their dogs as they struggle with the cost of living crisis.
Two of the UK’s
leading animal welfare organisations are calling on the Government to introduce
better protection for responsible renters with pets following an increase in
the number of pets being handed over to re-homing charities.
Dogs Trust is
receiving a record number of enquiries from people being forced to re-home their
dogs as they struggle to meet their needs as the cost of living continues
to rise.
Around one in
ten of those owners calling Dogs Trust charity cite issues with housing as the
reason for needing to rehome their dog. This includes people being forced to
move or downsize as rental prices increase, but are unable to find suitable,
affordable pet-friendly properties.
Meanwhile, Cats
Protection says that last year it took in around 1,300 cats, the equivalent of
at least three cats each day, due to landlords not allowing them in their
properties, making it the eighth most-cited reason as to why cats are given up
to the charity.
Currently,
there are no legal rights for renters with pets, and landlords can refuse to
rent to tenants with pets. The Government updated its Model Tenancy Agreement in 2021 to remove blanket bans
on pets from the standard contract. Under this agreement, any restrictions on
pet ownership must be ‘reasonable’, however, there is no legal requirement for
landlords to use it.
posted by Radio Jackie News Team @ 10:55 am
