Business mentor and angel investor Mark Lyttleton is a long-time supporter of Dogs Trust. This article will provide an overview of the help available for renting dog owners and Dogs Trust’s efforts to make renting a home fairer and more pet-friendly for families. The attached infographic contains some interesting statistics about dog ownership in the UK.
Sadly, one of the most common reasons owners hand their beloved pets over to shelters is due to a change in their living situation, and in particular, an inability to live in a rented property with their pet. In addition, living in rented accommodation can also be a significant barrier for those hoping to adopt a pet.
Determined to rectify this situation, Dogs Trust is striving to make it easier for those tenants to stay with their pets, as well as helping those living in rented accommodation to get pets too. The attached PDF explores the physical and psychological benefits of pet ownership.
Lets With Pets is a pet-friendly housing website recently launched by Dogs Trust, enabling pet owners, landlords and agencies to access a vast amount of resources and information about privately renting with pets.
From the tenant’s perspective, when seeking privately rented accommodation with their pet, there are several steps they can take to make the house-hunting process as smooth as possible, demonstrating to prospective landlords that they are a responsible pet owner. These include:
- Starting house-hunting as early as possible, giving themselves plenty of time to find a pet-friendly property and searching at least six weeks before they need to vacate their current property
- Getting a reference for their pet from the previous landlord
- Being as flexible as possible in their search in terms of location and property type
- Introducing their pet to the landlord, for example inviting the landlord to their current home so that they can see for themselves there are no problems
- Writing a CV for their pet including relevant information such as details of pet vaccinations, flea and working treatments, and veterinary practice
- Being honest and up front with the landlord
- Obtaining written permission to keep a pet in the property
Just like people, moving to a new home can be incredibly stressful for pets, highlighting the need for pet owners to make the process as stress-free as possible for their animal. The attached video provides pointers on moving your pet to a new home to make the process as relaxed and hassle-free as possible for pets and pet owners alike.