A purr-fect solution
Group to house pets of people being evicted
The Animal Rescue League of Boston plans to try to keep a roof over the heads of the Boston area’s animals, offering anyone now facing eviction the chance to temporarily put their furry friends up in a foster home.
“At the core of its mission, ARL believes in keeping people and pets together, and is offering temporary shelter for animals whose owners may be experiencing housing instability or may be at imminent risk of homelessness,” the organization said in a news release Thursday. “This is an imperative service for individuals facing eviction due to the Covid-19 pandemic.”
The South End-based organization says anyone who’s worried they might soon be homeless is eligible for this animal fostering program, but priority will be given to existing clients of ARL’s Wellness Waggin’. That’s a mobile veterinary clinic that’s intended to provide low-cost care to the pets of Roxbury, Mattapan and Dorchester.
The Rescue League says the first step for anyone looking to enroll in the temporary-housing service is they should call whichever Rescue League spot is closest: Boston at 617-426-9170 x140; Dedham at 617-4269170 x404 or Brewster 617426-9170 x306.
Animals can stay for up to 120 days, and owners have to agree to the parameters of a conditional surrender of the pet, including maintaining bi-weekly check-ins.
The state’s eviction moratorium expired last weekend, meaning that landlords now can begin court proceedings to boot out tenants. A federal eviction moratorium doesn’t end until the end of the year, so people can’t actually be thrown out until after that, but notices to quit — the first step in notifying someone that they’re being evicted — already have begun to go out as landlords file on people who haven’t been paying their rent.
The moratoriums were put in place amid the coronavirus pandemic, which caused widespread shutdowns that tanked the economy.