Pets OK BC has reacted to a new poll that suggests that most Canadians do not support petitioning for pet rental policies.
The poll, done by the Angus Reid Institute, says that most Canadians are inclined to disagree with those petitioning for increased rights for pet owners, although their opinion varies depending on whether one is a homeowner or a tenant.
The advocacy group says that the poll is "barking up the wrong tree."
People in a variety of living situations were asked if landlords should be able to refuse to rent their properties to pet owners.
Overall, more than 63% of Canadians said landlords should be able to refuse to rent their properties to pet owners, but the percentage holding this view rises among homeowners (70%) and falls to roughly half (50%) among renters.
Pets OK BC says the poll asked the wrong question. Jordan Reichert of the group says that the question is skewed towards property ownership rather than social responsibility.
"More than half of Canadian families have pets. If we see pets as a social responsibility we have as a community to provide housing for, then I think there is tremendous support for pet-friendly housing policy. On the other hand, if we see them as just property, like in the poll, that has to be disposed of if a landlord decides they don't want them there, that is an issue," Reichert said.
Photo Credit: Angus Reid Institute
The poll found residents in provinces like Ontario were most likely to support the right of pet guardians to access housing (43%). Ontario is also where the "Fluffy Law" was passed in the 1990s, which protects responsible pet guardians from discrimination in rental housing.
“It is clear that where landlords and tenants are work together to enhance pet-friendly housing, greater harmony and acceptance of pets is encouraged, keeping families with pets together,’ says PetsOK BC. “Pets OK BC asks all policymakers, as the shortage and cost of housing worsens, why would we make it even more difficult for responsible pet guardians to find homes?”
