Rental plea over pets

Almost half of dogs abandoned due to housing restrictions

UP to half of dogs surrendered in southern Tasmania are the result of the housing crisis. The RSPCA and the Dogs’ Home of Tasmania are urging the state to follow Victoria, which enacted laws to strengthen the rights of tenants to keep pets.

UP to half of the dogs surrendered by their owners in southern Tasmania are the result of the state’s housing crisis, sparking calls for the state to enact laws which protect renters with pets.

The RSPCA and the Dogs’ Home of Tasmania have urged the state to follow the lead of Victoria, which has enacted new laws which strengthen the rights of tenants to keep pets.

The Hobart Dogs’ Home reports between 40 and 50 per cent of the pets surrendered are due to their owners facing accommodation problems.

Data from RSPCA Tasmania shelters last year, which covered the North and North-West, shows about 20 per cent of animals were handed in because of owners either moving house or “no-pet” rental rules.

The RSPCA’s new community stakeholder manager Andrea Dawkins, a former Greens MP for Bass, said she wanted to use her role to go into bat for renters with pets.

She said people who could not afford to buy their own home should not be locked out of pet ownership.

“Not everybody is going to be able to afford a house anymore but we have to ensure their rental properties are their homes and not just a house.”

Ms Dawkins, who is also on Launceston City Council, said she would pursue a change of legislation to protect both pets and their owners.

She said victims of intimate personal violence were also at risk, because they would often flee violent situations with pets.

RSPCA Tasmania’s interim chief executive officer Dr Andrew Byrne urged the Tasmanian Government to look at legislation enacted in Victoria last month, where tenants have the right to keep pets and the onus is on landlords to refuse consent to a pet.

Under Tasmanian law, tenants can only keep a pet in a rental property with express permission from the landlord, or if it is agreed in the lease.

He said last year almost 600 animals were surrendered to the RSPCA whose owners cited as reasons “moving house” or “no pets” rules.

“This is not fair on the people, not fair on the animals and not fair on the organisations taking them,” he said.

Dogs’ Home of Tasmania chief executive Michael Sertori said the Victorian legislation would be a good first step.

He said between 40-50 per cent of dogs surrendered to the shelter were because of people “finding themselves in nonpet-friendly accommodation”.

Ms Dawkins’ appointment to help fundraise and organise events, follows the RSPCA making a commitment to work towards long-term financial sustainability.