When inflation and other financial challenges increase, evictions rise and pet parents are at risk of being separated from their pets. The BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™ program is glad to be able to share a helpful toolkit to assist shelters and communities in supporting pet parents facing housing insecurity.

The Keeping Families Together Eviction Response Toolkit was created by Human Animal Support Services (HASS), The Humane Society of the United States and The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement.

It includes recommended support services and resources related to temporary placement, advocacy and case management. The toolkit also features numerous best practices and examples from the HASS coalition.

As an example, the toolkit provides a checklist for support packages that can be provided to those who have to move, including crates, food, ID tags, microchips and vaccination services – since having up-to-date vaccinations is often required by potential landlords.

The toolkit also shares how shelters can create programs to provide temporary housing or foster placement for pets, so pet parents have the opportunity to secure housing without giving up their pet permanently.

View the toolkit at HumanAnimalSupportServices.org or by clicking below:

Helping people keep their pets in times of crisis is key to ending pet homelessness. To help cities support this important goal, in 2020, the BETTER CITIES FOR PETS program launched a pet-friendly housing toolkit, with model ordinances to provide a start for pet-friendly legislation. These include:

1. Model Ordinance for Pet-Friendly Low Income Housing
2. Model Ordinance for Microchipping Pets
3. Model Ordinance against Breed-Based Pet Restrictions
4. Model Ordinance for Shelter Reunification of Lost or Stray Pets

See the full toolkit here. Plus, check out the BETTER CITIES FOR PETS “Pets in a Pandemic” 2020 report, with insights on current stressors for pet parents and ways cities can help.