'Awful situation'- Irish renters forced to make impossible choice between their dog or home

Dogs Trust has called on the government to end the blanket ban on pets in landlord/tenancy agreements amid new campaign 'Good boy not good-bye'.

The number of people contacting Dogs Trust needing to give up their dog because their new home won’t allow dogs has increased by 112% in the last five years.. 

"A dog is part of the family, and no one should have to choose between losing their dog or losing their home. Sadly, far too many renters in Ireland are being forced to do just that," Dogs Trust said.

"One of the top reasons people contact us about giving up their dog is because they can’t find a home that allows pets.

"All dogs deserve a happy home but rental laws in Ireland simply aren’t allowing this. As a country of dog lovers, we must act to ensure that dog owners no longer face the impossible choice of losing their best friend or losing their home," Dogs Trust said.

Dog's Trust petition can be found here.

Celia Madrid Delgado, a canine carer at Dogs Trust said, “My husband and I applied for more than 300 rentals over six months and all of them refused us. If we didn’t have Kai, we’d have been sorted with somewhere to live in a couple of weeks.

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“Giving up Kai was never going to be an option for me. I was lucky and eventually found a home where we’re all happy. But so many other loving owners come to our rehoming centre looking to surrender their dog because they have no other choice.Owners in floods of tears It’s an awful situation to deal with. Owners in floods of tears. Their dogs distressed because they don’t know why they’re being left behind. All we can do is assure every owner that we will give their dog the love they deserve until we can find them a new home."