One of the top reasons families surrender their loving pets to shelters is because of housing issues they rarely have control over. Many apartments and housing agencies in the United States do not allow pets, or restrict specific breeds and sizes. This leads to more beloved animals abandoned in shelters and more families who are unable to adopt a pet in the first place because of their living situation.
In November of 2021, Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA), Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO) and Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL) introduced legislation that would stop the discrimination of pets based on breed in public housing agencies. The restrictions that are currently in place unjustly target different breeds AND low-income pet owners, forcing so many to give up their well-behaved and beloved pets so they can have a place to live. Overall, it makes pet ownership less accessible for everyone.
*Note that this legislation would not prevent denying dangerous pets, it requires the classification be made based on behavior instead of appearance.
What You Can Do To Help
To support the Pets Belong With Families Act, or H.R. 5828, you can make your voice heard and ask your congress members to support it. If passed, this act will no doubt benefit many families who do not want to give up their furry family members.
To find your Congress members and their contact information, you can visit the official website of Congress here.
Together, we can make our voices heard and help more pets stay in their homes!
More Ways to Help Shelter Pets
CatGenie, through their philanthropic initiative CatGenie Cares, is a proud partner of Best Friends Animal Society. CatGenie customers are able to support the Best Friends mission through donating directly at checkout to life saving missions at BFAS with every CatGenie purchase. CatGenie Cares also hosts a ShopForShelters shop featuring cool cat gear, with 100% of all profits benefiting BFAS.
