PETS AND THE HOUSING CRISIS
“A friend told me that I could get a great place if I gave up my dogs.
But if my dogs aren’t there, it will never be a great place.”
San Francisco is becoming one of the most expensive places to live in the US, and finding affordable pet-friendly housing is an increasingly difficult task. According to San Francisco animal welfare nonprofit SF SPCA, there's been a surge in owners abandoning their pets due to an inability to find pet-friendly housing. It's absolutley heartbreaking to have to give up a beloved family member after years together! Through the Beyond Rescue Foster & Adopt Program, we provide a safe place where a dog can be spared the stress of the shelter and the owner can have some peace-of-mind that their dog will be placed in a safe environment before they find their next loving home.
The horrifying truth:
Pet-friendly units in San Francisco cost an average of 12% more than those that don't allow pets. That's compared to a national average of 3.5% in major metro areas.
"First-time homebuyers would have to spend 95 percent of their monthly income to afford a home in San Jose, and 113 percent in San Francisco," according to Trulia.
Rehoming is not an easy choice
The housing crisis has hit Bay Area Families hard, but there are a variety of other reasons owners have to rehome their beloved pets. We've seen it all in our years of dog rescue.
Life changes: Couples get divorced, military service-people are deployed, and jobs change the amount of time available to care for a pet. Local community members are then forced to search for new housing or a new home for their dog.
Senior living arrangements: Aging dog parents often face a change of residence that doesn't always accommodate their fluffy friends. If immediate family can't take "Fido" there is a high probability he will end up in a shelter. Because of the overcrowding of Bay Area Shelters the odds are he won't make it out alive.
Illness and Emergency: Emergent and chronic health issues take a toll on a family in a many ways. Time, energy, and finances are all used up during the healing process. Sometimes an owner realizes that they can no longer give the dog the home it needs while tending to their people at the same time.
Evictions: Bay Area residents can face huge spikes in rent. For example, a complex was sold to a new management company and renters saw their monthly payment increase $2700. Landlords moving back into their properties leaves residents searching for a new place to live, and they may not be able to find dog-friendly housing in time to keep their animal.