Landlords asked to help pets during foreclosure crisis

LA Animal Services is urging area landlords to be especially sensitive to the plight of displaced home owners with pets during the on-going foreclosure crisis. In the first six months of 2008, LA Animal Services experienced a 21% increase in pets turned into City shelters for reasons related to the housing crisis and a 28% increase in the number of pets euthanized.

This disturbing trend stalls six years of progress in dramatically reducing pet euthanasia in the City of Los Angeles. The department had reduced pet euthanasia over 50% during the past five years and 22% in 2007. Although the City of Los Angeles still has one of the lowest pet euthanasia rates in the nation, the department is determined to reverse the current negative trend and still achieve its No-Kill Goal. But we need help.

Many people who are losing their homes now are at the mercy of landlords and we are asking landlords to consider accommodating animals. If you are a landlord, please consider the emotional stress of displaced owners and the consequences to their pets.

One solution the department is asking landlords to consider is a modest increase in cleaning deposits that would make it possible for new renters to own pets.

I’m convinced that as landlords understand the anguish their tenants experience when they are forced to relinquish a loved member of the family, and see how easy it is to address their own concerns, they will want to do more to help keep pets and families together. We really need our community to pull together to help solve this crisis and, like never before, landlords are a significant key.

Please share this message with a landlord.
Thank you.