Two-thirds of B.C. households include pets as important and loved family members. But pet-friendly housing is hard to find and often more expensive, especially for vulnerable people who already face housing barriers.
“The BC SPCA is seeing an increase in people needing to surrender their pets because of a lack of pet-friendly housing options. Many families all over the province are being forced to rehome their pets to keep or find a place to live” explains Kahlee Demers, BC SPCA Community Animal Centre Manager.
Chase, Cashew, Walnut and Indie are just a few of the very loved pets who ended up in BC SPCA care recently because of housing issues. It’s a heartbreaking situation for these animals and the people who love them.
When Melissa’s family found out their rental home’s new owner wanted to move in, she knew it would be hard to find a new home that welcomed their dog, Gin. Most of the rentals she found didn’t allow pets at all, and those that did often had breed or size restrictions that excluded sweet Gin.
After an exhausting search, Melissa, her husband and Gin had to move to a different community much further away from Gin’s veterinary clinic where she receives care from several specialists. While they feel lucky to have found a new home where Gin is welcome, they now have to commute 45 minutes longer to work and pay much higher rent.
We need government leadership so British Columbians can live with and be supported by the animals they love while ensuring landlords and strata have appropriate protection and mechanisms to resolve disputes. We’ve asked B.C. political parties to bring tenants, landlords and other stakeholders together to find collaborative solutions.
Please share this campaign with your friends, family and B.C. political parties and candidates to help us call for change!