No one should have to choose between a home and a pet

Too many dogs are handed over to us because their owners' housing situation means they can't keep them. When this happens, not only does a dog lose their home, but a family loses a beloved member. 

We don’t want anyone to have to make this heart-breaking decision. We want the right to have a dog in rented accommodation to be protected by law.

The new Housing (Scotland) Bill is currently being considered by Scottish Parliament. If passed, it will make changes in the law about housing, giving tenants the right to request to keep a pet.  

This is great news, but we want the Bill to go even further to protect owners and their pets in Scotland:

• We want to reduce the number of days a landlord has to respond to a tenant’s request to keep a pet.
• If the landlord fails to respond to the request to keep a pet, this should be deemed as unreasonable refusal so that the tenant can appeal the decision.
• Pet ownership to be included as a provision in a written tenancy agreement once consent to keep a pet has been granted.  

You can help keep dogs and their owners together.  

If you live in Scotland, write to your MSP today, using the letter below, and ask them to back our changes to the Housing (Scotland) Bill. Together, we can make sure no one has to choose between a place to live and a best friend. 

One in 10 handover enquiries we receive in Scotland are because an owner needs to give up their dog due to housing issues. This means thousands of dogs are separated from their families. Simply because of limited pet-friendly rental options.