Two-thirds of all U.S. households own at least one cat or dog. Unfortunately, about 1 million pets are still euthanized each year. And yet landlords and property managers charge exorbitantly high pet deposits and add additional monthly fees that discourage renters from welcoming a pet into their homes and hearts.
I know this firsthand because I just experienced a situation where two homeless kitties had found a loving home but lost their home because of a non-refundable $1,400 deposit and additional $120 monthly pet fees. Countless animals are abandoned in shelters across the country and in Siouxland because pet owners cannot afford such fees charged by landlords and are therefore forced to surrender their family companion.
Reducing “pet rents” will remove barriers to adoption and result in more dogs and cats finding permanent homes. If you feel as strongly as I do, send a message to Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Marcia Fudge and ask her to issue policies to at least limit the outrageous pet fees in public housing. Also, contact your local government and insist that landlords and property managers cannot use such policies in market-rate housing to keep pets out of their tenants’ homes. — Rande Giles, Sioux City
