Comments on: Foreclosure and Pets: The big picture http://www.petconnection.com/blog Blogging by a team of pet-care experts. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:26:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: PeonInChief http://www.petconnection.com/blog/foreclosure-and-pets-the-big-picture/comment-page-1/#comment-359864 PeonInChief Wed, 15 Oct 2008 23:14:56 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?page_id=2835#comment-359864 A whole lot of stuff needs to happen here. First, no tenant who adopts a pet should be allowed to leave the shelter with her new cat or dog without a one page sheet explaining the rights of tenants who have pets in the shelter's community. The flyer should explain when landlords can force tenants to get rid of pets (generally at any time), the notice required etc. These days, tenants should know what their rights are in foreclosure (each state has different laws, and some local jurisdictions have greater tenant protections) and what they need to do to enforce their rights. Second, if shelters really believe that tenants should be able to have pets, they have to be willing to go up against the real estate interests and help to pass legislation that requires landlords to accept pets under reasonable conditions. Landlords have traditionally used "no pet" rules to exclude families with children, to discriminate against non-white applicants etc. Shelters, which have been all too willing to condemn people who've lost everything, have been positively cowardly in their unwillingness to confront the landlord class. And finally, shelters should be actively working with foreclosure prevention groups to help people at risk of foreclosure to find pet-accepting housing. Waiting until the former homeowners have shown up on the doorstep with the pet is not helpful; making sure that someone from the shelter attends every foreclosure-assistance meeting in the community with information and resources is. A whole lot of stuff needs to happen here. First, no tenant who adopts a pet should be allowed to leave the shelter with her new cat or dog without a one page sheet explaining the rights of tenants who have pets in the shelter’s community. The flyer should explain when landlords can force tenants to get rid of pets (generally at any time), the notice required etc. These days, tenants should know what their rights are in foreclosure (each state has different laws, and some local jurisdictions have greater tenant protections) and what they need to do to enforce their rights.

Second, if shelters really believe that tenants should be able to have pets, they have to be willing to go up against the real estate interests and help to pass legislation that requires landlords to accept pets under reasonable conditions. Landlords have traditionally used “no pet” rules to exclude families with children, to discriminate against non-white applicants etc. Shelters, which have been all too willing to condemn people who’ve lost everything, have been positively cowardly in their unwillingness to confront the landlord class.

And finally, shelters should be actively working with foreclosure prevention groups to help people at risk of foreclosure to find pet-accepting housing. Waiting until the former homeowners have shown up on the doorstep with the pet is not helpful; making sure that someone from the shelter attends every foreclosure-assistance meeting in the community with information and resources is.

]]> By: Maida W. Genser http://www.petconnection.com/blog/foreclosure-and-pets-the-big-picture/comment-page-1/#comment-352230 Maida W. Genser Sun, 21 Sep 2008 02:55:25 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?page_id=2835#comment-352230 The foreclosure crisis is made even worse by the lack of low-cost housing where pets are allowed. Our organization ,Citizens FOR Pets in Condos, www.petsincondos.org (a 501-c3 tax exempt private operating foundation) is dedicated to increasing acceptance of companion animals in condos and other types of association-run housing. We educate the public about the health benefits of having animal companions and also advocate for responsible pet ownership/guardianship. Our motto: “creating a win-win situation for both people & pets.” So far, California is the ONLY state with positive legislation to allow people who live in association-run communities to have pets. Similar legislation is sorely needed elsewhere, especially in area with lots of 55+ housing complexes such as Florida. We have a petition to allow pets, which can be signed online. The link is in the upper lefthand corner of www.petsincondos.org. The foreclosure crisis is made even worse by the lack of low-cost housing where pets are allowed. Our organization ,Citizens FOR Pets in Condos, http://www.petsincondos.org (a 501-c3 tax exempt private operating foundation) is dedicated to increasing acceptance of companion animals in condos and other types of association-run housing. We educate the public about the health benefits of having animal companions and also advocate for responsible pet ownership/guardianship. Our motto: “creating a win-win situation for both people & pets.”

So far, California is the ONLY state with positive legislation to allow people who live in association-run communities to have pets. Similar legislation is sorely needed elsewhere, especially in area with lots of 55+ housing complexes such as Florida.

We have a petition to allow pets, which can be signed online. The link is in the upper lefthand corner of http://www.petsincondos.org.

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