The Kennel Club believes that people living in rented accommodation should have the legal right to keep their dogs with them. We believe that no-pet clauses on tenancy agreements are unnecessary and unfairly punish responsible pet owners.
Background and proposals
The Dogs and Domestic Animals (Accommodation and Protection) Bill, brought forward by Andrew Rosindell MP, proposed that owners of dogs or other domestic animals should have the right to have their pet live in their rented home, provided they are able to demonstrate responsibility and care for the animal. Under the proposed legislation, pet owners would be required to prove that they are responsible owners by, for example, obtaining a certification from a veterinarian prior to moving in to confirm that they have a healthy, well-behaved animal and are considered to be a responsible owner. Pets would also be required to be fully vaccinated, microchipped and responsive to basic training commands.
Current legislation and plans
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government announced a new model tenancy agreement to help responsible tenants with well-behaved pets secure leases more easily. Under the new model tenancy agreement, landlords will no longer be able to issue blanket bans on pets and consent for pets will be the default position. Should the landlord object, they must do so in writing within 28 days of a written pet request from a tenant and provide a good reason – such as in smaller properties or flats where owning a pet could be impractical. Tenants will still have a legal obligation to repair or cover the cost of any damage to the property.
Those with assistance dogs and service animals must not be refused as tenants by landlords – doing so is discrimination and could be illegal.
The Kennel Club’s position
We believe it is vital that those living in rented accommodation are able to have their pets living with them. With rental accommodation restrictions one of the biggest causes of dogs being take to rescue centres or rehomed, the new Model Tenancy Agreement and the proposed Bill are both important steps towards reducing the number of abandoned dogs each year.
As well as this, pet ownership has numerous positive health and social benefits. Daily exercise and the companionship provided by owning a dog improves mental, physical and emotional health, saving the NHS an estimated £2.45 billion annually1. It is important that pet owners are not separated from their pets so that they can continue to enjoy the benefits of dog ownership.
No-pet clauses in social accommodation also has a deeply cruel impact on the homeless, with many relying on the support and companionship provided by their dog whilst living on the street. It has been estimated that over three quarters of the largest local authorities in London do not allow all their tenants to keep a dog2. If a homeless person turns down an offer of accommodation due to a property’s no-pet clause, they are subsequently told that they are intentionally making themselves homeless and then refused further housing assistance. This also raises concerns regarding the affect that no-pet clauses and cruel separation policies can have on mental health.
Whilst we understand that landlords may have concerns relating to property damage, we believe that training can be an important solution: we encourage dog owners to be responsible and train their dogs, including through programs such as the Kennel Club Good Citizen Dog Training scheme.
Depending on the local authority, animal breeding is currently not allowed in rented social accommodation. The proposed Dogs and Domestic Animals (Accommodation and Protection) Bill could allow breeders to continue breeding pets in rented accommodation which would help to fulfil current high levels of domestic demand, which in turn would address other demand-related issues such as puppy smuggling and illegal importation.
As an alternative to ‘no pet’ clauses, we would encourage landlords to look to solutions such as the Good Citizen Dog Training scheme for dog owners and The Kennel Club Assured Breeders scheme which sets out high standards for those wishing to breed dogs and ensures they are inspected prior to breeding even one litter.
Get involved
If there is an issue you feel strongly about, write a letter to your parliamentary representative lending your support to one of our many campaigns and letting them know how they can help. Your emails and letters don't need to be long, in fact, the shorter the better as politicians are very busy. By doing this you will be playing your part in keeping the welfare of dogs on the political agenda.
Our guide to letter writing
While we know that it is much easier simply to copy a letter and send it off, your parliamentary representative is far more likely to take notice if you write your own letter. Use the guideline below to draft your own letter:
[YOUR HOUSE NUMBER AND STREET]
[TOWN]
[COUNTY]
[POST CODE]
[EMAIL ADDRESS]
[PHONE NO.]
[NAME OF POLITICIAN]
[PARLIAMENT OR ASSEMBLY ADDRESS]
[DATE]
Dear XXXXXXX,
Paragraph 1: Why you are writing
The first paragraph of your letter should always introduce your concerns to your parliamentary representative. For example:
‘I am writing to you regarding the issue of [INSERT TOPIC], to ask that you support The Kennel Club’s campaign to...’
(This information can be found on the relevant campaign page of our website.)
Paragraph 2: What you want to change
Each of the campaign’s pages on The Kennel Club’s website outlines the organisation’s official position and what is being done to try and push for change. This information can act as a guideline for telling your parliamentary representative how existing legislation needs to be amended.
If you are writing to request that your parliamentary representative support The Kennel Club on a specific issue, you may wish to use something along the lines of the following wording as an introduction to the paragraph:
‘The Kennel Club acts as a voice for thousands of dog owners across the United Kingdom. Supported by its vast expertise and experience on dog-related matters, The Kennel Club is proposing the following…’
…then write a bullet-point list into your letter.
Paragraph 3: Why these changes are necessary
Providing politicians with evidence will demonstrate that your concerns are valid. Use facts and figures to support your argument, and describe any personal experiences that you may have had to make your case even more powerful.
Paragraph 4: Action points
Tell your parliamentary representative the line of action that you wish them to take on this matter. This could be taking the matter up with their party, raising the issue in parliament, signing an EDM or supporting a specific Bill. If you are unsure what to write in this paragraph, contact The Kennel Club's public affairs team for advice.
Paragraph 5: Signing off
Request a reply. You may also wish to arrange a face-to-face meeting to discuss the issue further. Then all that is left to do is sign off:
‘I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,
[INSERT YOUR NAME]’
Once you have received a reply
To help keep us up-to-date on which politicians are aware/supportive of our campaigns, please photocopy or summarise the response you receive and send it to us by email or by post to: The Kennel Club Public Affairs, 1-5 Clarges Street, Piccadilly, London, W1J 8AB.
If your parliamentary representative has agreed to meet with you, read our guide to a successful meeting with parliamentary representatives below.
Our guide to a successful meeting with parliamentary representatives
Most parliamentary representatives hold surgeries where constituents can meet them face to face. Sometimes notices of surgeries appear in local newspapers, but if not you can contact your MP, MSP, AM or MLA’s office directly to book your appointment in advance.
Five steps to success
- Preparation is key. Make a list of questions/topic areas that you want to discuss with your parliamentary representative. Go armed with facts and figures to support your argument. You should also take a notepad and pen to write down any important points for reference
- Be direct. Introduce yourself and what you are there to discuss. State your concerns clearly, countering any opposing points that they may make. Do not become emotional – you will make a stronger argument by being calm and reasonable throughout
- Listen and respond constructively. Once you have made your position, allow your MP/MSP/AM/MLA to present you with his/hers. Listen carefully for areas of agreement and disagreement, always be positive and try to ask questions that will probe their personal viewpoint rather than that of their party
- Be aware of time. Stick to the issue and try not to get sidetracked into general debate - you will have a limited amount of time with him/her and it is important to make sure you get across all the points you wish to make
- At the end of the meeting and beyond… Thank them for the meeting, summarise your discussion and outline the steps you can take going forward. Let them know that they can contact you in the future to discuss the issue further.
For further information or advice, please contact The Kennel Club public affairs department on 020 7518 1020 or by email.
Contact your parliamentary representative
- Find your MP - write to (name of MP), House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
- Find your MSP - write to (name of MSP), Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, EH99 1SP
- Find your AM - write to (name of AM), Cardiff Bay, Cardiff CF99 1NA
- Find your MLA - write to (name of MLA), Parliamentary Buildings, Belfast, BT4 3XX