Top animal experts show their support for Street Paws, sign the petition here!
- Hayley O'Keeffe
- 7 days ago
- 2 min read
Top animal welfare professionals have thrown their weight behind a growing campaign calling for an end to pet exclusion in housing, warning that forcing people to choose between a roof over their head and their animal companion is cruel and counterproductive.
The Street Paws ‘No One Left Outside’ campaign, which is pushing for clearer government guidance to ensure pets are not unreasonably refused in social housing, has secured backing from leading voices across the veterinary, behaviour and training sectors.
Among them is Marc Abraham OBE, founder of ‘Marc the Vet’ and chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Dog Advisory Welfare Group in Westminster, who did not mince his words when it comes to the importance of the human-animal bond.
“As a vet and animal welfare campaigner, I know that the human and animal bond is not just a luxury, it’s also a lifeline,” he said. “Pets provide comfort, stability, and emotional support, particularly for people facing homelessness or crisis.
“Forcing someone to choose between a safe place to live and the animal they love is both harmful and unnecessary. Street Paws’ ‘No One Left Outside’ campaign is rooted in evidence and sheer common sense, and I fully support their call for pet-inclusive housing to become the norm, not the exception.”
To sign the petition go to https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/753095
The campaign’s message is echoed by some of the UK’s most respected canine professionals, including Sarah Whiffen, the newly appointed head of Animal Centred Education following the death of pioneering trainer Sarah Fisher, and Daniel Shaw, who works on complex dog seizure cases alongside social services and police forces.
Both have seen first-hand the devastating consequences when dogs are separated from their owners, particularly in already vulnerable households.
Likewise Pet Remedy emotional wellbeing expert Andrew Hale has seen first hand the effects that separating a pet from their human can have.
Holistic feline behaviourist Katie Gwilt, founder of The Kat Lady and a respected magazine columnist, has also lent her voice, highlighting that the issue is not limited to dogs.
“Cats are often overlooked in these conversations, yet they too form deep emotional bonds with their guardians,” she has said previously. “Removing that support system can have a profound impact on both human and animal wellbeing.”
Meanwhile, Jo Middleton, whose organisation provides regulated training for pet professionals, stressed that education must go hand in hand with policy change.
The Street Paws campaign argues that while the principle of allowing pets is already recognised in the private rented sector, the same clarity is lacking in social housing, leaving many tenants at the mercy of inconsistent rules.
To sign the petition go to https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/753095
