Pets and Moving

The number one reason for owners to surrender their pets at shelters nationwide is moving.  Many pet-owners want to bring their pets but find they can’t, particularly if they are renting.  Here are some tips adapted from the HSUS article, “How to Find Pet-Friendly Rental Housing:”

1. Give yourself plenty of time.  Start looking at least six weeks before your current lease expires.  Contact real estate agents and start checking ads.
2. Sell yourself as a responsible pet owner.  Landlords reject renters’ pets because they fear problems such as damage, fleas, complaints about barking, etc.  Realize that these fears are realistic and reasonable and be prepared to address them.
3. Make use of a variety of resources.  Don’t waste time on large rental communities with strict no-pets policies.  Check the newspapers.  Ask rental agents, real estate agents, and rental managers whom you know to be pet-friendly if they know of any apartments that allow pets.  Check with your local animal shelter for ideas, and look online for sites that list pet-friendly apartments.  A list of these sites is available through the HSUS website and the Petfinder.com online library.
4. Collect “proof that you’re responsible.”  Documents could include letters of reference from your current landlord or homeowners’ association, certificates of completion of training class(es), and a letter from your veterinarian proving that your dog is spayed or neutered, on flea/tick prevention, and up-to-date on vaccinations (especially rabies).  Explain to the landlord that you share his concerns about cleanliness:  your dog is house-trained, and you clean up and properly dispose of the dog’s waste when you walk him.  If the landlord cites a no-pets policy, politely ask him if there have been previous bad experiences that led to the policy.  His reply will give clues to the concerns you most need to address.
5. Promote responsible pet owners as tenants.  There are benefits to landlords having responsible pet-owners renting their apartments.  You are less likely to move, since it is hard to find pet-friendly housing.  Lower vacancy-rates mean less loss of revenue and related headaches.
6. Arrange for the landlord to meet your dog.  Do this if at all possible, either on the landlord’s property or at your own home.  Share a scrapbook about your dog, design and share the dog’s resume, show how polite and well-trained he is, and make every effort to make a favorable impression.  Remind the landlord that you maintain a program to actively control fleas and ticks.
7. Pay more.  Be willing to pay an extra deposit to cover any damages that might be caused by the pet.
8. Get any agreement in writing.  If your written agreement has a no-pets clause, get it changed.  Beware that a verbal agreement alone is probably impossible to enforce.
9. Remain honest.  Don’t sneak a pet in.  You face possible eviction, and the landlord will be even less inclined to allow pets to other tenants in the future.

 

If you must find a new home for your dog:

"Free to a good home” is a bad idea.  Ask for an adoption fee.  To look for potential adopters, ask your friends, advertise in the local newspapers and in the (free) Petfinder online classifieds, and post flyers at the same kinds of places mentioned for finding lost pets.  Screen the new home carefully.  Contact rescue groups, particularly if your dog is purebred. 

If your dog is very old or has a history of biting, consider taking him to your veterinarian for humane euthanization in the arms of his loving family.  Keep in mind that you can be held liable for a dog that bites, even after he has left your possession!  Life in a kennel or shelter is extremely stressful for most dogs, and downright depressing for a senior dog that has known a loving home all his life.

If he is young, friendly, and otherwise highly adoptable, and you have been unable to place him yourself, take him to your local shelter. Remember, there are worse things than a chance for adoption (or even humane euthanization).  Never dump your dog along a road or tether him someplace in hopes he’ll find a good home!  Your dog will be confused and frightened.  He can starve, get hit by a car, be attacked by other dogs, and abused by cruel or careless people!  Remember, he is defenseless on his own, and he is your responsibility.