The growing movement preventing homeless people from having to choose between their pet and a home

On 6 March 2017, John Chadwick, originally from Salford, was evicted from his home in Maidstone, Kent. He was placed in a bed and breakfast by Maidstone Borough Council – but his beloved dogs, Theo and Tinkerbell, and cat, Gizmo, were not allowed to join him. He was then offered a flat in a high-rise with a no-pet policy. If he refused it, he would be deemed intentionally homeless and refused further assistance. Ten days later, he died by suicide.

Driven by her loss, Chadwick’s best friend, Dee Bonett, campaigned for a local scheme that permitted pet owners to remain with their pets without facing sanctions. The scheme was subsequently made permanent – and named the John Chadwick Pet Policy.

But access to pet-friendly accommodation remains a postcode lottery. The Renters’ Rights Act, introduced this year after a lengthy sojourn through parliament, means that all landlords must fairly consider applications to keep a pet. 

But for people experiencing homelessness, pervasive blanket bans on companion animals in temporary accommodation still prove a substantial barrier.

On 19 May, Big Issue vendors Andy Sanguy, Ian Duff and Kelvin Gregory, as well as Andy’s dog Lucky Charm and Ian’s dog Trigger, joined the charity Street Paws as they took the fight for change to the House of Lords. Animal Friends Pet Insurance who have donated more than £10 million to animal welfare causes worldwide, have since backed the cause.

Now, there is a further beacon of hope in the form of Tyne Housing, who provide temporary accommodation, as well as the Joseph Cowen Centre, a drop-in hub for people experiencing homelessness in Newcastle. Following collaboration with researchers from IMPACT (Improving Adult Care Together), their pet-friendly approach will now be used as a best-practice model to inform the development of new policy guidelines around pets and accommodation.

“A pet is a social navigator’s dream tool because it does all the things that, as a social navigator, we want to do by following the NHS’s five ways to well-being,” says Alex Anderson, Tyne’s emotional resilience officer, referring to connection with others, physical activity, skills development, acts of giving and mindfulness.

Read more:

• John Chadwick took his own life when he was separated from his pets. His friend is campaigning for change
• International Dog Day: The street vets helping homeless people and their pets
• Rough sleeping response team to ensure ‘pets won’t be left behind in fight against homelessness’

She adds that limited access to housing also means that people cannot access vital services. “I have a pet, and if I need to go to the doctor, I leave my pet at home. If I need to go to a pharmacy, I can leave my dog at home and I know she’s safe. A lot of our visitors can’t get access to very, very basic things because they do have to take their pets with them. 

“A lot of them can’t access housing services because they’re in libraries and places like that. A lot of people struggle to access food because there’s a lot of places that don’t allow pets.”

This isn’t to say that providing this kind of accessible service is easy. Pets can’t always be allowed within shared accommodation because not everyone likes pets, or there may be people with allergies living there.

Building personal relationships is key to addressing such quandaries. “Because the two staff members in the Joseph Cowen Centre are really knowledgeable of the area, they get to know the visitors really well,” says Anderson. “They’re a very, very good safe space, and that’s built up a really good relationship and the ability for them to risk assess pets and people as individuals really dynamically and really quickly, which is a really, really difficult skill.”

As far as doing so is feasible, then, Tyne Housing work to ensure that people are never forced to choose between shelter and their pets – for the sake of the animals as well as the people.

“Animal welfare is a key thing and across all our services, whether it be accommodation or drop-in centres, we would always put the animal’s welfare at the forefront, and if we had any concerns, we would work with the resident officers to address them,” says Louise Wilson, Tyne’s director of programmes and business development. Tyne Housing define themselves not merely as accepting but as welcoming pets. 

“If someone comes in to use the day room and they’ve used the shower, there’s always a bowl of water and a towel on the floor for the dog,” Anderson says by way of example, “treating that pet as an extension of an individual” and delivering “really good person-centred care. 

“It’s about making sure that the dog and them are treated with respect, which they get every time they come through the door.”

Sign Street Paws’ No One Left Outside petition

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