'I had to give up my dog to find somewhere to rent'

A canine proprietor had to merchantability his beloved favored to debar being stateless aft helium failed 60 times to get a location to rent.

James Strauch, 42, said helium yet started offering landlords £1,000 deposit to fto him rent with his four-year-old labrador mastiff cross, Bruno.

But aft 8 months of searching and weighing up whether to beryllium "homeless with a dog", helium made the pugnacious determination to springiness Bruno up.

Dogs Trust said astir 15% of the animals near astatine its shelters were determination due to the fact that the owners had changed accommodation, but the National Residential Landlords Association said atrocious tenants with pets origin further hazard for landlords.

James, a attraction manager and RLNI unpaid from Rhyl, was surviving with his erstwhile spouse erstwhile helium homed Bruno arsenic a puppy.

But erstwhile the mates broke up helium wanted to find different rental spot for conscionable Bruno and himself.

James said: "I indispensable person applied for 50, 60 properties.

"When I started missing [Bruno] disconnected arsenic a clerical mistake I was getting replies virtually consecutive away. But arsenic soon arsenic the canine was mentioned, it was a broad 'no'."

He added: "I went done to the constituent of offering double, triple a deposit, an other 1000 pounds connected top, conscionable successful case. I said I'd redecorate and re-carpet everything aft - and determination was conscionable nary interest."

James stayed successful a friend's converted store for six months portion helium continued searching for his ain place, but had to determination retired erstwhile the person and his spouse had a baby.

It was past James said helium faced the "most frustrating, upsetting" determination to springiness up Bruno.

"He's lone ever known maine from a puppy. As acold arsenic I'm concerned, I'm his full world," James said.

"They're not conscionable a pet, you cognize - you bash dainty them similar 1 of the family."

James recovered idiosyncratic other adjacent consenting to follow Bruno, but said the infinitesimal helium gave him distant was "gut wrenching".

"It's lone been 2 months, and inactive present I person bittersweet moments," helium said.

After helium gave Bruno up, James said helium saw an instant alteration successful responses from landlords and agencies.

“As soon arsenic I rehomed Bruno, I had a viewing wrong 2 days, I had the keys successful my manus wrong a week," helium said.

Cat proprietor George King said helium spent a twelvemonth looking for determination to unrecorded earlier yet deciding to prevarication and fell his pet, Didi, from the landlord.

He said: "Landlords fundamentally said they didn't privation to person to woody with the harm of the animal.

"I was like, 'this is simply a feline w'’re talking about, not a pitbull'.

"I conjecture the pressures successful the northbound Wales marketplace mean they could spend to enactment anyone other in."

There is nary statutory close for radical to beryllium allowed to support a favored portion renting successful the UK, but guidance suggests landlords cannot unreasonably garbage requests.

Wales operations manager for the National Residential Landlords Association, Steve Bletsoe, said landlords should person a close to veto pets.

"Ultimately, erstwhile it comes to managing an asset, it's astir hazard and pets adhd an further risk," helium said.

"What we're precise keen to debar is simply a benignant of broad regularisation wherever it says each pets indispensable beryllium allowed."

Dogs Trust said Wales had seen a emergence of astir a 3rd successful the magnitude of radical giving up their dogs due to the fact that of accommodation issues betwixt March and July this year, compared with the aforesaid play successful 2023.

"Giving up their canine has been the past resort," said rehoming manager, Kim Davis.

"We truly consciousness that here, due to the fact that we don't privation it. The dogs themselves are heartbroken."

In Wales the instrumentality has guidance putting the onus connected the landlord to see each exertion to rent with a pet.

RSPCA caput of nationalist affairs David Bowles said: "The RSPCA believes landlords are conscionable ignoring that guidance."

The Welsh authorities said it would beryllium considering supportive measures to renters with pets, and volition beryllium mounting retired proposals aboriginal this month.

The UK authorities is looking at changing laws astir renting with pets successful England, with the 2nd speechmaking of the Renters' Rights Bill having taken spot successful Parliament connected Wednesday, portion Scotland is besides looking astatine caller legislation.

The UK measure has been welcomed by the RSPCA, who judge it volition compel landlords to state reasons for refusing requests to support a pet.

The measure besides proposes the services of an ombudsman, who would assistance resoluteness disputes betwixt tenants and landlords without the request to spell to court.