Practical Ways Animal Shelters Can Keep Pets Housed with Their Families
- INFO HEART LA
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
A Housing Justice Approach
Animal shelters are seeing the impact of the housing crisis every day as families with pets facing housing insecurity often turn to our shelters first. Housing justice does not have to happen all at once to make a meaningful difference. You do not need a brand-new department, major funding, or a perfect plan to begin.
Pick one action to start with based on your shelter’s capacity and community needs.
1. Know Your Local Housing Policies
Research and compile local or statewide housing laws and tenant protections related to pets.
Sample Topics to Explore:
Pet deposits or monthly pet rent
Restrictions around breed, size or number of pets allowed
Eviction timelines and tenant rights
Emotional Support Animal (ESA) processes
Keep this information readily available for public-facing staff or for community events. Sharing accurate information about housing and tenant rights can help keep pets in homes with their families.
2. Connect With Housing Allies
Build relationships with organizations already doing housing work.
Sample Organizations to Link Up With:
Service providers for people experiencing homelessness
Temporary housing or shelter providers
Tenant rights groups, organizers or unions
Community resource centers or faith-based centers
Introduce your organization, share your services, learn theirs and look for ways to collaborate.
3. Collect & Lean on Data
Track how housing issues are impacting the people and pets you serve.
Sample Data to Collect:
Owner surrenders related to housing challenges
Calls received seeking help due to pet policies, evictions or difficulty finding pet-inclusive housing
Data can be collected at the front desk, in the field or in the community (e.g., such as community events, surveys or listening sessions). Collecting and regularly reviewing data helps reveal patterns, prioritize resources and guide future programming.
4. Build a Resource Map
Create a simple, visual guide of local resources for people with pets.
Sample Pet Resources to Include:
Low-cost/free veterinary care
Pet food and supply pantries
Behavior support
Low-cost grooming
Sample People Resources (that also help pets) to Include:
Pet-inclusive housing or shelters
Food assistance programs or pantries
Free or low-cost healthcare and mental health resources
Make it easy to share online, print or hand out at your front desk, in the field or at community events.
5. Start With the Basics
Invest in learning. Review and share HEART’s educational resources, webinars, and training materials.
Public-Facing Roles That Benefit from These Resources:
Intake and diversion teams
Community engagement and outreach teams
Field services and animal control officers or liaisons
Volunteers working in your community or shelter
Understanding how housing justice intersects with animal welfare helps teams recognize that keeping families housed keeps pets housed too.
Start Small. Build Over Time.
Housing justice work does not need to happen all at once. Begin with one action, learn from your community, and grow from there. If capacity is limited, consider calling on volunteers to help with projects such as resource mapping, policy research, data entry, outreach, or partnership building. Much of this work can be done remotely, making it a flexible and accessible way for supporters to contribute their time and skills.
Over time, this work can become part of your programs, partnerships, and strategic planning.
Ready to Build Your Intake Prevention Strategy? Whether you're just getting started or looking to strengthen existing programs, HEART can help your team create practical solutions that keep pets home and families together.
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