GIVE PETS A CHANCE
Regina Leader-post and Saskatoon Starphoenix audiences flocked to a December feature story on the effect pets are having in the Sherbrooke Community Centre care home.
Sherbrooke, which provides high-level care to 263 residents, has created a unique environment where all kinds of animals have a home. Birds, dogs, guinea pigs, bearded dragons — you name it, it may be part of the centre’s family.
This is a surprise to many. It is often thought that animals are hard to accommodate in situations where multiple people or families are living in the same place. What is no surprise is that the residents say their quality of life has been improved by the presence of the pets.
“Having a visiting dog might be great for that moment, but then that animal is gone and may not come back and see that elder again, and that just sort of enhances that loneliness,” Deb Schick, the leader for professional practice at Sherbrooke, told reporter Bre Mcadam.
The Regina Humane Society has a helpful guide for renters who own a pet. They say about 75 per cent of renters need accommodations that allow for animals, and these kinds of units are woefully small in number.
But the organization is hopeful this can change. As the website states, “The RHS recognizes both the need for pet-friendly housing and for responsible tenants. ... By working co-operatively with landlords and tenants to increase pet friendly housing options, we can increase the number of people who adopt and retain pets — and move one step closer to becoming a life-saving community. This will stop the flow of animals being surrendered or abandoned due to housing related issues.”
Now that it is a softer market for landlords looking for tenants, it is possible that pet-friendly options may become more common. And it also could be the time to talk about how to make owning animals more accessible for all citizens.
There are options to protect landlords and investors beyond simply creating “no pet” environments.
There is no question this is a complex issue. It is certain that rental property owners will likely have horror stories about pet damage and irresponsible pet owners.
Some other jurisdictions, including Ontario and B.C., have taken steps to make renting with a pet more feasible through updated legislation. Saskatchewan should follow this lead, reviewing current legislation and opening up discussion on making pet ownership for renters a right to be lost, rather than what often feels like an impossibility.