Comments about ‘Pets are losing their owners as owners lose their homes’

That is so sad. We lost a home we were living in, but we were renting. Landlord cranked up the rent, so we couldn't afford it anymore. But our two cats came with us and we're in a new place and they're still with us. Most landlords are tolerable of pets, may have to pay a little more of a deposit, but more often then not they are flexible.

If people would JUST spay and neuter. I will never understand why they don't. It would save millions of lives of animals.

I would like to see a push for a program that offered, free or very very low cost spaying/neutering of dogs and cats. Many people do not "fix" their animal as the cost is prohibitive. If there could be such a program, it would save thousands of animals from being born.

Property owners are contributing to the problem. Recently my daughter searched for an apartment in Davis county that would allow pets (duplex or similar with fenced yard) and everything said, "No pets" - not just deposit. They were willing to pay a deposit (I was loaning it to them!). They ended up moving to Roy and commuting 23 miles each way to work just so they could keep their two little dogs. Many of the landlords are probably pet lovers themselves but they aren't helping renters who also love their pets.

My experience with friends who have sought pet-friendly apartments is that they are hard to come by. I'd like to see legislation to prevent rental discrimination against pet owners,

We got to bail out the homeowners, just to save the animals. Who cares about the next generation who can't afford housing because of this bubble, and of coarse the next generation has tons of debt to pay(national debt), huge entitlements(Social Sec., Medicare, Medicade) hanging over them. But no we got to worry about pets. The baby boomers have ruined it for the next generation, and does anybody complain, no we have to bankrupt the next generation to "save the planet"

I agree with the above comments, but I also see the landowners point of view. So many people are lazy and when their pets pee or worse on the carpet, they do not clean it up in a timely and appropriate manner.

I had my cats fixed and it cost me $20 for each cat. That's pretty darn cheap. I had it done at the Salt Lake Humane Society.

I have a couple of apartments that I rent out. I have allowed pets in the past. It is frustrating to me how lazy pet owners are. They let their dogs or cats poop on the grass and don't bother to clean it up. Then other the other renters in the unit (it's a multi-unit building) have to deal with their neighbor's poop.

If you want to be able to have pets, Pet owners could do themselves a favor by cleaning up after their animals EVERY time. I don't want complaints from other tenants that your dog or cat is leaving a mess. And I don't want to have to replace the carpet and pad because you can't smell when your animal pees inside the unit. It's too expensive to replace carpet every time.

Legislation to prevent "discrimination" against pet owners will never happen. It's their private property, you can't force them to rent to you because you have a pet.

Pets create a lot of wear and tear on a place. Not only do they soil the carpet when they have an accident, their feet, and the constant in and out, tracks in extra dirt, etc which wears on the carpet.

Some cats use doorways as scratching posts. Some renters allow their birds to fly around, outside their cage, pooping everywhere, including hard to reach areas.

Other than a fish, I can't think of an animal that doesn't wear on a rental unit. That's why some people won't allow pets.

Additionally, some people are highly allergic to pet dander and need a place that has never had pets or they can have an allergic reaction and die.

When it comes to an animal, or a human being's health, I choose the human's health. There are options out there for pet lovers to rent.

Here's a thought. Don't get a pet if you are in an apartment.

Just like you don't have children until you are established and can afford them -- don't bond with a pet until you can properly care for them. That typically means being able to afford a home to keep them in.

People losing their homes and it's the pets we're reading about?

To Wow,
We have been hearing about people losing their homes for some time now. This story was pointing out that it is not only people who are suffering in these trying times. I for one hope that when people read this article they will do some little thing that will help this situation. Animals are part of the family and it is sad to hear they are being separated from the people they love.

No apartment building should allow pets for a number of health reasons too long to list here.

re: I'd like to see legislation to prevent rental discrimination against pet owners.

Any legislation to protect pet owners will discriminate against landlords and other tenants. Pets in rental properties, where renters have little incentive to protect or improve the structure, often cause immense damage, costing thousands of dollars to repair when the renter leaves. Many pet owners are also oblivious to the problems their animals cause (odors, feces, intimidation of pedestrians, destuction of property, etc.).

It is not a right to own a pet - and ALL of the costs of ownership should be interalized and accrue to the owner, not the rest of us.

Please have some compassion for these people. To some, pets are like their children. The LAST thing these people want to lose is their loving animals. I would do anything to keep my cat if I was in this situation.

I have always tried to find an apartment I could have a pet in with no luck. I do see the hassle it is from the Landlords perspective. My fiance had cat owners in the apartment above her. The tenants went on vacation for a week and left the cats alone in the apartment and the smell from just the hallway was horrible.

No More Homeless Pets offers free spay/neuter vouchers for up to three pets for those households on a government assistance program (Medicaid, WIC, CHIP, etc.)or whose income doesn't exceed 150% of the Federal Poverty Limit.

I have no pets myself, but how can you turn in a pet because you can no longer afford to feed it. Would you turn in a child? A pet is just like a child that looks for a little love. I agree with the apt. owners, "some" people are too lazy to clean up after their pets. But if you are a homeowner, there are places like the foodbank that have food for your pets. Should you be a smoker...give up some of your bad habits so that you can feed your pet instead. A pack a week ought to do it. It is not my intention to look down on anyone who smokes but just have compassion on your pets, surely they deserve better than being turned in. Good luck to you all.

I do not understand why people who cannot afford to house and feed themselves and their family are acquiring pets they also cannot afford to take care of.