Labour’s plan to give renters the right to keep pets
RENTERS could be given the right to keep pets under plans being announced by Labour today as Jeremy Corbyn seeks to make it the party of animal welfare.
Labour will promise to do more to stop people who do not own their home from having to give up their pets when they move, amid fears animal shelters are seeing an increase in abandoned cats and dogs. The party will also pledge to label all meat according to where it is from and how it was produced and slaughtered, in an attempt to end animal cruelty.
A ban on exporting animals for slaughter, an end to the badger cull and expanding affordable vet care for pet owners on low incomes are also among Labour’s 50 pledges.
The document also states those on low incomes could get help with vets’ bills and calls on drivers to be forced to report accidents where animals are hit or killed on the road.
The Conservative Party has made a series of high-profile announcements in recent weeks, including banning puppy farming and micro-beads, as it attempts to win the votes of animal rights and environmental activists.
Sue Hayman, Labour’s shadow environment secretary, said people “shouldn’t be denied the joy of keeping a pet” just because they can’t afford a home of their own. She told The Daily Telegraph: “For the majority of people under 30, buying a home is sadly less and less an affordable option. The five million households who are forced to rent really shouldn’t be denied the joy of keeping a pet. Pets are not only good company, but they can also help reduce stress in their owners.
“We want to consult with landlords to see if we can give tenants the default right to keep a pet in their home, so long as they’re not a nuisance.”
The change would give tenants the right to keep their animals. At the moment they are often forced to give them up because landlords do not want pets in their properties.
However, industry experts have expressed concern about the plan, which Labour will consult on if it wins the next election.
Richard Lambert, the chief executive of the National Landlords Association said: “Around half of landlords say they are reluctant to allow renters to keep pets, due to a perceived added risk of damage to the property, and the increased costs of repair at the end of a tenancy. You can’t take a blanket approach to keeping or refusing pets.”
Steve Double, the Tory MP, said: “Labour are belatedly playing catch-up with the huge progress made by this Government on animal welfare.”
Battersea Dogs & Cats Home welcomed the Labour proposal and called on more councils and housing associations to have “pet-friendly tenancy agreements”.