There isn’t enough affordable, pet-inclusive housing for renters

People love their pets and consider them to be part of the family. In fact, two-thirds of American households include at least one cat or dog, which makes having a pet-inclusive place to call home essential for most Americans.

Sadly, there isn’t enough pet-inclusive housing for renters. And even properties that are described as “pet-friendly” often have pet weight limits or dog breed restrictions.

Because of this lack of pet-inclusive housing, families are often forced to choose between securing a place to live and keeping their pets.

Admissions data from animal shelters shows that housing-related issues are the second most common reason that families surrender their pets to shelters, even ahead of financial reasons.

Consider this: More than 970 cats and dogs were killed in America’s shelters every day in 2021 just because they didn’t have safe places to call home. So, it’s crucial that we create more pet-inclusive housing nationwide.

We’re working together to create more pet-inclusive housing

More than 90% of housing providers and residents agree that pets are an important part of families. That’s why Best Friends is working with individuals everywhere to create more pet-friendly housing.

We’re giving people the tools they need to help them keep their pets. And we’re spreading the word to housing providers that being pet-friendly has many benefits.

Take action to keep families and their pets together

Here are some ways that you can ensure the availability of more pet-inclusive housing:

Support a local effort to increase pet-inclusive housing