Best Friends Animal Society Is Working To Increase Pet-Inclusive Housing

Keeping Houstonians and their pets together is essential to ease the overwhelming number of animals entering shelters here locally and across the country. Best Friends Animal Society, a leading animal welfare organization, and Michelson Found Animals are working together to increase pet-inclusive housing.

In 2023, affordable housing is hard to find and can become especially difficult with a large dog. Size, weight, and breed restrictions force many to make the heartbreaking decision to give up their pet which often results in them landing in already overcrowded public animal shelters.

Texans know that bigger is better, and dogs are no exception. However, current arbitrary housing barriers, most often regarding size or breed, are the number one reason dogs are surrendered by their family to a shelter. Sadly, big dogs wait in shelters much longer than small dogs. Additionally, they are at a signifi- cantly higher risk of euthanasia because inaccurate stereotypes about the space and care they require cause many landlords to restrict dogs based on their size and/or breed.

The Pet Inclusive-Housing Report, conducted by Michaelson Found Animals and the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI), found that 33% of pet-owning residents would adopt another pet if restrictions on their rental housing were lifted. Additionally arbitrary pet policies caused nearly a quarter of respondents to move, and 14% of respondents surrendered their pet because of their housing situation. Through easing restrictions over time, up to 8.2 million more animals could find homes in pet-inclusive rental housing – saving countless animal lives and improving the lives of their owners.

Through empowering renters to educate owner/operators about why allowing all good dogs, regardless of their size or breed, is good for the owner/operators, the renters, and animal shelters, more dogs can find or stay in their respective loving homes. Best Friends Animal Society and Michelson Found Animals are currently working together to increase pet-inclusive housing through research, policy and legislative change, and by providing tools, resources and education for dog owners, and rental owner/operators.

To learn more and access downloadable resources, visit BFAS.org/bigdogs.