Animal rights advocates and community members are asking for D.C. to establish a pet-friendly shelter — but the city is pushing back.
On Oct. 8, the D.C. Council Committee on Housing held a public hearing for a proposed bill that would require District officials to offer at least one pet-friendly shelter and limit the fees landlords can charge tenants with pets. More than 30 community members, animal advocates, and nonprofit organization leaders testified in support of the bill at the three-hour-long public hearing, arguing it would allow more people who are experiencing homelessness or housing instability to keep their furry friends. But the Department of Human Services (DHS), which is responsible for shelters in D.C., said it doesn’t support the proposed legislation.
If passed, D.C. Councilmember Robert White’s Pets in Housing Act would cap pet rent at $25 and pet security deposits at $300, ban breed-specific fees or restrictions, and require that DHS offer at least one pet-friendly low-barrier shelter.
But, “our provider network does not have the expertise or staffing or contracted responsibilities to care for pets in shelters,” DHS Director Laura Zeilinger said at the hearing, adding that DHS does not view pets in shelters as a “large unmet problem,” and can’t commit significant resources to the project. Zeilinger recently announced she’s stepping down at the end of the year, but is still with DHS at the time of publication.
Several animal advocacy group leaders — including the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), The Humane Society of the United States, GW Law School Animal Welfare Project, Pet Advocacy Network, The Animal Legal Defense Fund, and The Animal Policy Group — testified in support of the proposed legislation, saying it would reduce instances where people experiencing homelessness are forced to relinquish their pet to enter the shelter system. More than one-third of people in D.C. have a pet, according to Executive Director of DC Voters for Animals Max Broad, and people in D.C. send thousands of cats and dogs to animal shelters because they can’t find a place to live affordably with their pets, according to ASPCA Senior Director of Housing Policy Susan Riggs.
The District currently permits people with registered service animals to bring the animal into some shelters, because officials determined they’re “not considered pets,” but does not allow other animals in shelters. According to Lynn Amano, the director of advocacy at Friendship Place, many people experiencing homelessness feel they have no choice but to relinquish their pets to access shelter, which is detrimental to them and the animals. She said as the city works to grow the number of available shelter beds, they need to ensure at least some rooms are pet-friendly.
“Providing temporary and short-term shelter for individuals with pets while they await housing is a logical extension of the types of non-congregate shelter we are developing in the District,” Amano said.
Though advocates commonly say pets are one of three main reasons — along with partners and possessions — some people choose not the seek shelter, Zeilinger said staff haven’t heard of a “significant number” of people declining to enter a shelter because of their pet. Zeilinger also said the program would be too “resource intensive” — citing cleaning and pet supplies costs — and pose health and safety risks for shelter residents.
During his questioning, White asked Zeilinger whether DHS has received complaints from shelter residents and staff members who are currently around people with support animals. She said many people have allergies or phobias to animals, and get upset when they’re asked to relocate.
“It would be challenging to prioritize this given it hasn’t shown up as a significant need in our community over other issues where we do need resources,” Zeilinger said.
In addition to creating a pet-friendly shelter, the bill would make it easier for tenants with pets to afford housing, Broad said, arguing additional pet fees and restrictions make it even harder for people to find affordable housing options, which can lead to people giving up their pets.
According to Animal Legal Defense Fund Strategic Legislative Affairs Manager Alicia Prygoski, a recent Pet Friendly Housing Initiative report revealed that 72% of renters in the U.S. said pet-friendly housing is difficult to find, and that only 8% of pet-friendly housing does not have restrictions or fee differentiation based on breed. She said reducing fees would encourage adoptions and lessen tenant turnover caused when people realize they want a pet.
“The Pets in Housing Act would make Washington D.C. a more equitable and humane city for humans and animals alike,” Prygoski said.
Ward 5 Resident Melissa Baines said she was “severely restricted” when searching for housing in D.C. because she has two cats. She said charging high fees disproportionately affects people who earn a lower income, and urged everyone in the room to help people stay with their pets regardless of their economic status.
“The act would remove significant barriers to having pets in housing and reduce the devastating trend of housing-related pet surrenders,” Riggs said. In order to strengthen the protections, she suggested the bill include that pet deposits be returned to the tenant within 45 days, assuming the money isn’t required for repairs related to their pet.
Several people, including Broad, said they supported measures in the act partially because many pet owners rely on an animal for emotional support or companionship.
“We can prevent situations in which somebody must make the impossible choice between a roof over their head and their beloved companion,” Broad said.
Joan Schaffner, the director of George Washington University Law School’s Animal Welfare Project — which helped develop the legislation alongside White — agreed pets provide “essential emotional support,” and forcing people to relinquish them for cheaper housing options or a shelter is dangerous for the owner’s wellbeing and harmful to the pet.
As a result of current fees and breed restrictions, Kate Finman, a Ward 6 resident and member of Volunteers for HRA Reform, said shelters in D.C. are “overflowing” with animals because owners who love their pets are forced to relinquish them.
“People should not have to choose between the safety of a roof and getting to keep their beloved animals, and a hard situation should never be made harder with impossible decisions about the pet’s life,” Finman said.
After more than 30 pet owners and advocates spoke in support of the act, White ended the hearing by asking Zeilinger for specifics on what DHS would need to see to enact the legislation. He asked whether DHS had comments on pet rental fees, but Zeilinger said she only came to talk about the shelter.
White said he would review challenges DHS raised with implementation, the price of creating a pet-friendly shelter, and safety issues, and encouraged people to continue submitting public testimony. The bill will likely not pass before the end of the council period in December, but White could reintroduce it next year.
