A South Australian charity supporting vulnerable people with pets says the housing crisis has pushed demand for its services to unprecedented levels.
Safe Pets Safe Families founder and chief executive officer Jennifer Howard said the foster care program was being inundated with calls on a daily basis.
“We can’t actually keep up with the demand,” she said. “We’re getting in between 40 to 60 phone calls a day – it’s heartbreaking.
“We have had to turn away so many people.”
The charity also offers a range of support services including free pop-up vet clinics, a vet community fund, counselling and pet supplies.
Ms Howard said the volunteer-run service was straining under demand on all fronts.
“Usually it was only a 12-week term and now some of the pets are staying with us for up to eight months,” she said.
“And that’s directly because of the housing crisis.”
For people already facing disadvantages, Ms Howard said, giving up a pet could have a devastating impact.
“It delays people leaving violent situations, so I think we fail to save human lives if we don’t address the pets.”
“We even had someone in a desperate situation where there were no options at all, and she had to take her pet to the vet to be euthanased.”
‘People in tears’ after not finding rentals
The RSPCA said its shelters were also at capacity, with owners “in tears” surrendering their pets.
“It’s not only the RSPCA shelter that is at capacity at the moment, many of the pounds and other rescue [centres] and shelters are also at capacity,” RSPCA SA’s Rebekah Eyers said.
“Many of the pets that we’re receiving at the moment are from people in tears because they cannot find a pet-friendly rental.
“Particularly when we know that so many people are struggling with mental health issues at the moment; it’s really difficult if they also have to give up their pets.”
South Australia is not alone in dealing with a rise in people giving up their pets, with many shelters around the country running over capacity.
The state government is planning to introduce new laws that will mean landlords will not be able to unreasonably refuse tenants’ requests to keep a pet on the property.
Tenants will have to comply with any reasonable conditions imposed by the landlords.
These could include keeping a pet outside if appropriate, and getting carpets professionally cleaned at the end of the lease.
Pet laws ‘disincentive’ for landlords
But, according to the Real Estate Institute of South Australia, landlords have raised concerns these changes may force them to pull out of an already stretched rental market.
“The strong message is it’s another disincentive as to why they need to have an investment property,” chief executive officer Andrea Heading said.
She said more discussions were needed about what reasonable grounds for refusing a pet could look like.
“Maybe talking about pet bonds as part of the arrangement as well,” Ms Heading said.
“It’s the idea of trying to keep part of that market going still with landlords having houses available for rent.
“And having a good [balance] between a happy landlord and a happy tenant.”
Proposed laws ‘not enough’
The state government said it would be consulting over the draft bill in the coming months and it hoped to pass the laws by the end of the year.
But Dr Eyers said the changes were needed before then.
“Every day of delay, we will see more pet owners who can’t bear giving up their pets resorting to living in cars, resorting to living in substandard accommodation, resorting to staying in situations of domestic violence,” she said.
She said the proposed pet laws would not be enough.
“We need the councils to be taking more responsibility for managing animals,” Dr Eyers said.
“Another thing that could really help this situation is more foster carers.”
Ms Howard welcomed the laws but also said other measures were needed.
“There needs to be more public housing for people on a low income,” she said.
“There are so many people who can’t afford private rentals.
“When you support the pets that people love, then you’re supporting people’s mental health and wellbeing.”
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