A Pathway & Pet Advisory Committee Publication Housing Provider Resource - Practical Guidelines on Pet Management for Housing Providers June 2007 A Pathway & Pet Advisory Committee Publication Housing Provider Resource - Practical Guidelines on Pet Management for Housing Providers Section 1 1 Introduction Page 1 2 The role of pets in society - the benefits and the drawbacks Page 2 3 Formulating a pet policy - what to consider Page 3 4 Giving permission to keep pets Page 4 5 Education and awareness Page 5 Section 2 6 Unauthorised pets Page 6 7 Animals suitable as domestic pets Page 7 8 Guidance for the number of animals Page 7 9 Animal care Page 8 10 Enforcing your pet policy Page 12 11 Common pet management issues Page 13 Section 3 12 Housing legislation and advice Page 15 13 Animals and the law Page 15 14 Older people and sheltered accommodation Page 17 15 Homeless pet owners and hostels Page 18 Section 4 16 Case studies of effective working practice Page 19 17 Draft pet policy Page 22 18 Application to keep a pet in accommodation - draft form Page 24 19 Directory of useful contacts Page 26 20 Further reading Page 30 21 References Page 31 A Pathway & Pet Advisory Committee Publication Page 1 Housing Provider Resource - Practical Guidelines on Pet Management for Housing Providers Section 1 1 Introduction Page 1 2 The role of pets in society - the benefits and the drawbacks Page 2 3 Formulating a pet policy - what to consider Page 3 4 Giving permission to keep pets Page 4 5 Education and awareness Page 5 “The Chartered Institute of Housing welcomes this comprehensive guide to assist housing providers in developing positive guidelines on keeping pets in rented accommodation. It provides all the information necessary to draw up and implement successful pet policies, including case studies, key legislation, exemplar policy and an extensive list of useful contacts.” CIH – Professional Practice 2007 1. Introduction keeping animals has become of increasing concern to housing providers and the community as a Many people see their pets as a natural extension whole. of, or a replacement for, a family. People of all ethnic groups and all ages and abilities may have PATHWAY initially attempted to address this area pets. Pet owners may live on their own, or with with the production of its ‘Guidelines for Housing relatives or friends; they may have children or they Providers’ and its later publication, ‘Pets and may not; they may work full time, part time or not People’, aimed at owners. The interest shown in at all. There is no limit to the type of person who these documents indicates that they have had an may have a pet and benefit from that relationship. important role to play in harmonising the Pets provide people with constant companionship, relationship between pets, their owners, landlords comfort and love and offer them a way of making and the public. However, concerns relating to contact with others. As such, pets are not animals and the provision of accommodation for something housing providers can ignore. people remain. These concerns can lead to severe distress to owners and non-owners alike, as well Pet ownership has risen over the last few as costly interventions by housing providers. decades. Over 5.2 million households in the UK are now estimated to own dogs; 6.1 million This ‘Housing Provider Resource Pack’ updates households own cats and 4.1 million households the previous publication and has been produced own fish (Pet Food Manufacturers Association, in response to a national survey of UK Local 2004). Traditional ‘domestic’ pets include dogs, Authority and Housing Associations carried out by cats, rabbits, rodents and budgerigars but, more Pathway in 2004. The results of the survey recently, there has been a trend for people to provide an overview of the nature and content of keep exotic species such as invertebrates, snakes housing providers’ pet policies and the terms and and other reptiles and birds. The increase in number conditions contained within tenancy agreements. and variety of species kept has implications for For further information go to both human and animal welfare. www.pathwaypetsandhousing.org.uk Issues of both health and safety potentially compromise human welfare: transfer of diseases from animals to humans and vice versa (zoonotic) – although this is a low risk; injury through bites from dogs; and scratches from cats are all causes for concern. Even small mammals can cause problems by escaping and chewing wiring, causing a potential fire hazard. The noise and smell of animals can also disturb neighbours and all of these are therefore issues for housing providers. In recent years, the different issues involved in A Pathway & Pet Advisory Committee Publication Page 2 2. The role of pets in society – can help develop social skills, social and moral the benefits and the drawbacks responsibility, empathy and a caring and nurturing attitude to others. Pets can provide a child with a friend and confidant and can increase confidence When people think of pets they often think of and self esteem. They can also act as a social dogs and cats. They may consider the typical pet lubricant, giving the child a shared interest with owner to be a middle-aged person without small their friends and so increasing their social support children. However, this is a very limited view of network. what a pet is and who might be a pet owner. Any animal can be a pet. Perhaps dogs, cats and Pets can also be educational, widening children’s horses are the most obvious species because interest in the world around them: one study they are the ones we usually see out and about showed that children found that pets gave them a with their owners. However, other species such as lot to talk about, with one child telling his peers sheep, birds of prey, guinea-pigs and even mini- about the life cycles of his pet African Land snails pigs are kept as purely outdoor pets. Rabbits may (Parsons, 2004). The children involved said that live both indoors and out, sharing their owners’ the only negative aspect of pet ownership related home but with their own accommodation in the to issues such as cleaning out dirty cages – itself garden. Many species are kept purely indoors, an important lesson of life that chores have to be such as tropical and gold fish, budgerigars, done. snakes and spiders, African land snails, hamsters, mice and gerbils. Just as varied are the types of Pet ownership has also been shown to benefit people who are pet owners. older adults. Age can bring reduced mobility and independence, as well as a smaller social group New animal welfare legislation – the Animal as mobility reduces and the number of friends and Welfare Act 2006 in England and Wales and the relatives decreases. This can lead to elderly people Animal Health and Welfare Act 2006 in Scotland – growing more isolated and lonely, which can have revolutionised animal welfare legislation in affect both psychological and physical health. the UK because they introduce a duty of care on Looking after another creature can give elderly any person keeping an animal to ensure that they people a role and identity, while having a pet look after it properly. For example, it is now a legal provides a living creature to talk to and confide in requirement for pet owners to provide the following: and a topic of conversation and point of interest ● a proper diet (food and water) for others. Although studies suggest that pets can ● somewhere suitable for their pet to live provide many positive benefits to elderly people, they cannot replace the benefits of interacting ● protection from pain, suffering, injury or disease with other people (Roberts, 2004). Instead, pet This list is not exhaustive and when putting ownership should be considered as an additional together your pet policy and accompanying factor that can help people live happy and fulfilling guidance, you should consult the relevant legislation lives, as with all other age groups. and code of practice. There is no doubt that these Pets can also improve their owners’ health. These new laws will have a significant effect on tackling benefits are not restricted to those who own dogs cruelty and neglect. See ‘Animals and the law’ in and walk several miles a day. In fact, studies Section 3. suggest that interacting with a friendly animal, or even watching a tank of fish, can help reduce blood pressure and increase feelings of relaxation. Other studies (by Anderson et al, 1992, and Friedman et al, 1980) suggest that pet ownership can help prevent heart disease and recovery from heart attacks. How exactly pets benefit health is still unclear. One theory suggests that pets reduce stress in a similar way to yoga and relaxation techniques. Like them, pets can help owners react less to stressful situations or by helping owners reduce the effects of being stressed. Some suggest that 2.1. The benefits that pets bring to people animals provide a focus for attention in an other- Many studies have examined the psychological wise stressful situation, that they promote feelings and physiological benefits that pets can bring to of safety (for example, “the cat is still asleep so I their owners and books have even been written must have imagined that noise”) and that they on the subject (for example Robinson, 1995, and provide a source of comforting contact. Animals Dono & Ormerod, 2005). can also help us reduce stress hormones, either through the exercise involved in walking the dog This work has shown that, for children, pet or riding the horse, or by playing with the cat or ownership under responsible adult supervision laughing at their antics.