www.politicalanimal.org.uk/cawf 05
The basics
A PETS POLICY
The RSPCA believes that housing providers should
not discourage pets where facilities exist for their
proper care. Controls are necessary, however, to
prevent irresponsible pet ownership, which can
cause suffering to animals and a nuisance to
neighbours, and so many housing providers are
now including clauses about pet ownership in
the tenancy agreement.
In all written policies, the key questions to address are
whether the policies or conditions are enforceable, and
whether they will be enforced by housing officers. It is also
important to ensure that pet owners generally, or owners
of specific pets such as dogs, are not vilified through policy.
While there may be a need for greater conditions on some
pets, they need to be proportionate to the problem and
explained clearly to the residents.
The following information should be included in a basic pets
policy, and included in the tenancy agreement where possible.
A clear statement that the owner is responsible for
their pets' welfare by law, as defined under the
Animal Welfare Act 2006.
You should base this on the 'duty of care' in section 9 of the
Act, which makes it an offence for the person responsible
for an animal to "...not take such steps as are reasonable in all
circumstances to ensure that the needs of an animal for which
he is responsible are met to the extent required by
good practice". The needs outlined are: a suitable environment;
suitable diet; ability to exhibit normal behaviour patterns; to be
www.rspca.org.uk/cawf
housed with or apart from other animals; to be protected from pain,
suffering, injury and disease. The RSPCA has produced information on
how to meet a pet's needs under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (s.9),
which can be found at: www.rspca.org.uk/allaboutanimals/pets/-/
article/CAD_OurPets
You will also need to include a clear process for dealing with any
welfare or cruelty complaints.
A clear statement that the owner must ensure that the
pet does not cause a nuisance and is not used in an
anti-social manner.
This statement needs to include clear details of what is expected from
a responsible owner. In addition, you should detail a clear process for
dealing with nuisance (including hygiene and noise) complaints that
arise, which includes, where applicable, working with other agencies
such as the police and the RSPCA.
The RSPCA advises that - as with the majority of low-level
complaints - positive action towards an improvement is sought
in the first instance, and that the pet owner is directed to sources of
information and advice.
Please note: Where animal training is a possible solution, we
recommend that owners are directed to a suitable trainer. Further
information can be found at: www.rspca.org.uk/allaboutanimals/
pets/dogs/behaviour/trainer
Clear guidance on which pets are allowed, where they are allowed,
where they are not, and how many pets a tenant can have.
State whether pets are allowed in the accommodation and, if so, how
many and which species. The RSPCA is not able to specify exactly
how many animals of what type can be kept as this depends on the
size and style of accommodation, but the Society believes that some
species, such as primates, should not be kept as they cannot have their
needs met in a household environment. Local authority animal welfare
officers, environmental health staff or vets experienced in the animals
concerned may be able to provide help and support in defining a
specific policy, as well as the training of housing staff in assessing the
suitability of accommodation for keeping pets.
You may wish to prohibit on safety grounds the keeping of any animals
listed under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976. If you allow some
animals named under this Act, then you must ensure the owner has an
up-to-date licence to keep or breed these animals.
You should also state whether tenants are allowed to replace
their pets when the animal dies.
Please note: We recommend that this guidance should have the
flexibility to assess individuals' requests on a case-by-case basis.
Conditions that tackle indiscriminate breeding and
accidental ownership
The breeding and sale of animals should be prohibited on premises
that housing providers manage i.e. the dwelling and other areas such
as garages. This will help encourage responsible pet ownership and
reduce the number of 'accidental owners' i.e. those who acquire pets
from friends and neighbours without being aware of the animal's basic
welfare needs. It will also help avoid environmental nuisance and health
and safety problems for neighbours.
Housing officer training
It is important to ensure that housing officers dealing
with animal-related problems are aware of the basic
legislation surrounding pets and are comfortable
around the animals they come into contact with. Some
landlords have arranged for behaviourists and dog
handlers to provide basic dog handling and behaviour
training, which results in officers feeling more confident
in their enforcement role. Please note that the RSPCA
believes it is essential for behaviourists to be certified
clinical animal behaviourists. More information can be
found at: www.rspca.org.uk/in-action/whatwedo/
vetcare/findabehaviourist