Individuals who have dogs

Resettling homeless people with dogs

• Try to put yourself in the shoes of a dog owner when referring them for permanent housing: what sort of home do they and their pet need?
• Think of any steps you can take to help refer a dog owner – for example, giving the dog a reference or including copies of its veterinary certificates.
• It’s worth gathering evidence to reinforce your client’s case for living with their dog: for example, a statement testifying to the role their dog plays in the client’s continued stability. In this way, you can demonstrate how important it is that the dog and its owner are not forced to separate just to find housing.
• Are there any other agencies helping the client, for example, substance abuse clinics or skills and training agencies, which could provide a reference?
• Many housing providers are worried that the dog will be left alone during the day, so it’s a good idea to think about any ways in which you can reassure the provider that the dog will be looked after while its owner is at work or on training. It will take some time to give dogs and their owners a truly fair deal when it comes to housing. However, Dogs Trust is working with housing providers to encourage them to be more flexible with animals. We are part of a pets and housing working group called Pathway, which was formed in 1995 to persuade housing providers to develop positive pet policies. In particular, Pathway is working to encourage more housing providers to allow dogs and cats in flats above the ground floor so that single dog owners have more housing choice.