As pet abandonment surges in Canada, an animal rights group is pushing to end pet restrictions in rental housing, saying that it is “discriminating” against pet owners in the country.
A recent parliamentary petition started by Humane Canada is asking the House of Commons to include a specific provision for tenants with pets in the new Canadian Renters’ Bill of Rights that was proposed in the 2024 federal budget.
Any “no pet” clauses in tenancy agreements should be voided, the petition says, “so that tenants with pets are no longer excluded from rental housing.”
“Pet restrictions in rental housing lead to housing insecurity, mental health impacts, and homelessness for some tenants with pets, disproportionately affecting young people and vulnerable populations, including seniors and people with disabilities,” states the petition, which was launched in July.
Humane Canada CEO Barbara Cartwright said “no pet” clauses for rental agreements are “very common” in the country and that creates a barrier to finding affordable housing, especially for younger people.
“We’re seeing an increase in people unable to find suitable housing and being forced to have to surrender their pets,” Cartwright told Global News in an interview.
“We hear stories of people sleeping in their cars because they’re trying to hold onto their pet and of course, in the worst-case scenario, they have to surrender their pets to an animal shelter.”
More than 60 per cent of Canadian households have a cat or dog, with more than 70 per cent identifying them as family members, according to Humane Canada.
Polling done by the group shows that 73 per cent of Canadians felt that they may have been or had been denied housing because of their pet and 82 per cent have said that they felt that they were unable to apply for rental housing because the listing said no pets.
Ontario is the only province in Canada that has since 2006 voided no pet clauses in tenancy agreements.
But Cartwright said even pet owners there, like in parts of the country, are being denied housing because of their furry friends.
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“We feel that the federal government taking an approach will ensure that landlords understand that they cannot have a ‘no pet’ clause and it will drive that learning forward by including it in the Renters Bill of Rights,” she said.
According to the budget, the Canadian Renters’ Bill of Rights will create a nationwide standard lease agreement, require landlords to disclose historical rent prices of apartments and crack down on renovictions.
Cartwright said she had a “good meeting” with Housing Minister Sean Fraser’s office in June and discussed the issue of including a pet provision for tenants in the proposed bill.
“They are certainly interested in the concept and particularly how it’s impacting young people,” Cartwright said.
Fraser’s office did not respond to Global News’ request for comment by the time of publication.
Dawson is among those young pet owners who have been impacted by the rental restrictions.
Global News is only identifying Dawson by his first name over concerns about discrimination from landlords during rental applications.
The 23-year-old from Montreal said trying to find housing with his four-year-old rescue dog has been “incredibly destabilizing” and “absolutely insane.”
He said in Montreal alone, he’s sent hundreds of messages, trying to contact landlords but with no luck.
When he asks landlords if they allow pets, Dawson said they either don’t answer or say no. Some have also asked which pet he has or requested to see a photo.
“The unfortunate reality is that these places that do allow dogs, oftentimes it is a lot more pricey,” Dawson said.
A travelling project took him to British Columbia last year, where he faced more housing challenges.
“I was struggling to find housing for about three months. It got to the point where I was living in my car and I couldn’t find a place to go.”
He was eventually forced to move back to Montreal and is now living at his mom’s house.
Pet costs and abandonment rising in Canada
The cost of pet ownership has surged in Canada over the past year, with everything from veterinary bills and pet food prices to grooming expenses going up.
The high cost of care has forced many Canadian pet owners to abandon their furry friends, rescue organizations say.
It’s a thought that has crossed Tobias Gurl’s mind, but he said giving up his service dog Winston is “not an option.”
Gurl, like Dawson, has found it an uphill battle to find a rental apartment in Montreal for himself and his psychiatric service dog.
Tobias Gurl with his service dog Winston.
Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press
He moved to Montreal from his hometown Seattle for his master’s degree.
It took Gurl a year and a half before he was able to come to an agreement with his university and live on campus with Winston.
During his apartment hunt, the 34-year-old said he couldn’t find a landlord who was willing to look past the fact that he has a dog.
“In that year and a half, I rented from a private landlord, tried to find more affordable places, was denied by several landlords, very brazenly, outright saying it was because I had a dog,” Gurl said.
“When I told them she was a service dog, they said they don’t care. She’s still a dog.”
Winston is a psychiatric service dog who lives with Tobias Gurl on campus in Montreal.
Photo provided
Gurl said housing that allows pets shouldn’t be billed as a “luxury good” where owners have to pay extra to be able to live with their companion animals.
“We need to be able to rent in places that are a good fit for our animals”
Gurl and Dawson are among more than 5,500 signatories and counting of the Humane Canada petition so far.
It is open for signatures until Nov. 2.