For most of us, pets aren’t just pets. Around 60% of Canadian households share their lives with one, and 70% consider them family. Yet renters with pets face fewer choices in a market where affordable homes are already hard to find. Too often, pet restrictions leave people with an impossible decision: accept a home they can’t afford, settle for one that isn’t safe or suitable, or say goodbye to someone they love.  

For people experiencing homelessness, the stakes are even higher. About 1 in 10 has a pet, and many are turned away from shelters, and what few affordable rentals are available, because their companion isn’t welcome. Without pet-friendly options, finding permanent housing can feel out of reach.  

Pets are family. No one should have to be separated from theirs just to have a roof over their head.  

We need more affordable, pet-friendly rentals, and policies that remove needless barriers for renters with pets.  

This World Animal Day, add your name to show your support for more affordable, pet-friendly rental housing, so that no one has to give up a member of their family to find a safe place to call home.