What to say about pets, people, and housing insecurity

<4 minute read>

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Housing insecurity shows up all the time in our work with pets and people.  Stories and messages fueled by housing insecurity show up, too. They often sound like this:

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“People don’t try hard enough to find pet-friendly housing.”

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“Bruno was surrendered to the shelter because his owner was “moving.” Don’t people understand that a pet is a lifelong commitment!”

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“Lily’s owner was homeless, so we took her in and are finding her a new, loving home.”

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These mainstream messages are often focused on blaming pet owners. But why? Housing insecurity is a systemic issue that impacts the choices and options available to pet families. The housing system creates endless barriers and too few options for pets and people.

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‍Systemic housing problems force many pet families to move frequently, live in substandard conditions, or spend most of their income on housing.  Owners and pets can end up in unsafe or overcrowded housing, homeless, or stressed from being forced to move many times. Pet owners are not in control of all these problems. No individual is responsible for the entire housing system.

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Mainstream stories and messages aren’t describing the reality of housing insecurity for pets and people.  Here is a story that does:

“Buddy has been Lisa Barber's furry companion through thick and thin.

The 10-year-old, 80-pound Labrador-Golden Retriever mix, who Barber adopted at 6-weeks-old in 2012, traveled with her from Maine in 2020 after the 59-year-old's partner died. Buddy lived on the beach with her when she couldn't find housing and comforted her through the loss of her other dog.

"He's a good old man," she said. "He's been with me through all this craziness and moving around from hotels to whatever."

But now, the gentle giant is a barrier between Barber and stable housing. While the two live together in a Satellite Beach hotel where Barber also works, Barber is looking to move to an apartment. However, she's been turned away from housing because of Buddy's size.

For those already homeless, finding a way off the street with a pet can be challenging, Barber said. Local homeless shelters do not allow pets. People in need of immediate help, whether they're already on the street or in an unsafe home, may choose discomfort or danger over having to give up their pet for the safety of a shelter.

"I've been trying for months," Barber said. (source)

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We have long described housing insecurity as a people problem, where pet owners are blamed for not doing and being enough for their pets. In reality, housing insecurity is created by policies, institutions, and organizations that make it difficult, or impossible, for many pet owners to keep beloved animals and care for them how they want to. Systemic issues are responsible for breaking up pet families—housing insecurity was a top reason people surrendered dogs and cats to shelters in 2023.

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If we want to keep pets out of our shelters, see them have the security of a safe, stable home, and receive the veterinary care they need, then we need to fix systems, not people. To do this, we must start talking more about housing insecurity as a systemic problem affecting pet families. We have to talk about realistic, practical ways we can change the system.

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The future of our messaging should sound more like this:

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“The rising cost of housing is creating problems for even the most devoted pet owners. Pet families can’t control the housing market, so they shouldn’t have to give up their pet because of it.”

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“We can keep animals out of shelters by ensuring safe, affordable housing is possible for all pet families.”

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‍SPARC created this quick Guide to Housing Insecurity in Animal Care and Well-being to facilitate the shift from harmful to helpful narratives. We highlight key facts, the messages we should be sharing now, and ways to leverage people power to change systems for the better. The more we talk about the systems affecting pets and people, the more we can do to fix them.

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Check out this comprehensive guide if you want to learn more about Systems Framing for Animal Care and Well-being.