Introducing Trixie. A sweet and snug terrier mix. Click for more information. Credit: Submitted Photo / Where The Love Is Animal Rescue
This is a decision that dog owners across Connecticut have struggled with more than ever in the eight years we’ve served as volunteer intake coordinators at Where The Love Is Animal Rescue in Hamden.
Historically, our shelter has focused on rescuing abandoned and abused dogs and finding them loving homes. Things changed about three years ago when a dog owner contacted us because he had lost his home and needed to find a new family for the pit bull he had owned for seven years. She couldn’t find affordable, pet-friendly housing.
Although it wasn’t a typical scenario to help someone surrender a beloved pet, we agreed to intervene on Casie’s behalf. Soon, our good intentions became the beginning of a new kind of heartbreak for the dog: the loss of his home and the loved ones who were his family.
Today, we are inundated with requests every day from pet owners asking us to find new homes for their pets because they can’t afford it or are unable to find pet-friendly housing. Shrinking affordable housing and rental markets, as well as strict rental and insurance policies, are forcing owners to give up their family dogs. This sad fact is brought home every time a dog is tied to a tree or abandoned on the side of the road because the owner thinks they have no other choice.
Recently, our shelter temporarily stopped accepting new dogs so we can focus on finding new homes for surrendered dogs. At the same time, our volunteer-run shelters are also at risk. Kennels are full, foster families are busy housing dogs until permanent homes and adoptive families are found, and foster families are in very small numbers as they return to work and struggle to pay bills. . The situation is so dire that the Connecticut Association of Animal Care and Control Officers would like to suspend the intake of animals from other states until facilities like ours are no longer overburdened.
This perfect storm is backed up by statistics. A national survey conducted by the Human Animal Bond Institute revealed that nearly 75% of people report difficulty finding pet-friendly housing. The study also revealed that this struggle was the reason about 25% of residents moved and a further 15% had to surrender their family pets.
This situation is unnecessarily dire. The problem is arbitrary and costly pet restrictions. The answer is legislation that eases pet regulations for rental housing and homeowners insurance. New laws to do so are gaining attention across the United States. It’s time for Connecticut to follow suit.
Connecticut has made some progress over the years. As a result, residents with disabilities who require a service animal or, more recently, an emotional support animal, are no longer denied housing with their pet. But lawmakers can do more to prohibit, or at least restrict, landlords from refusing to provide housing to dog owners.
Most rental property owners either charge high deposits and monthly fees for renters, or have blanket pet policies that deny them the right to keep animals altogether. One recent example of such a landlord-tenant dispute was filed with the New Haven Fair Rent Commission. One tenant complained that his landlord wanted to increase his monthly rent from $1,000 to $1,250, which included a new $150 monthly fee for his Chihuahua. Fortunately, in this case, the commission intervened and set the new monthly rent at $1,100 and the one-time pet fee at $150.
For homeowners, these policies allow insurance companies to do the same, charging very high fees or denying insurance policies to pet owners. New laws in some states will eliminate such blanket pet insurance, allowing landlords and insurance companies to deny it only in certain reasonable cases, such as for animals found to be a danger to themselves or others. It is recognized that California, for example, is considering legislation that would ban high pet fees and include a complete ban on pets in rental units. However, in these cases, the landlord may require the dog owner to purchase pet insurance. In Colorado, a new pet rental law places a $300 cap on pet deposits, regardless of the rental price of the property. Additionally, pet rental fees are capped at $35 per month to account for potential wear and tear on floors and furniture.
If Connecticut enacted similar legislation, the positive impact would be doubled. First, families can keep their beloved pets at home, which benefits the health and well-being of animals and humans alike. Additionally, overcrowding at shelters across the state would be significantly reduced as current pet owners would be able to keep their pets and other families would be able to afford adoptions. According to data collected by the Human Animal Bond Institute, approximately 35% of non-pet owners surveyed would add a pet to their household if housing restrictions were lifted, compared to those who currently own a pet. Approximately 30% of pet owners plan to get another pet.
Even though no protections were in place for these pet owners, Where the Love Is Animal Shelter was able to place Casey in a home, including providing dog food and housing resources for the owners. I did everything I could to keep it in place. Eventually, we had to take Casey to a shelter for heart surgery to have a pacemaker implanted. She was adopted by a beautiful family and lived the rest of her life happy and healthy.
If things continue like this, we will feel powerless and powerless to face this crisis. However, the possibility of new legislation focused on eliminating current restrictions on pet-friendly housing gives us hope. We will never give up on rehoming the countless pets in need, but we are making changes on a larger scale so that more pets can stay where they are: in their current homes with loving families. I’m looking forward to doing it.
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