Key Takeaways
- HABRI hosted its third annual Spring Policy Forum focused on pet-inclusive housing policies.
- Stakeholders from pet care, housing, animal welfare, research, and policy sectors participated in the event.
- Discussions addressed breed and size restrictions, pet rent and deposit caps, and transparency in apartment pet policies.
- A new Pets and Families Housing Coalition was announced during the forum.
- Founding coalition partners include APPA, Independence Pet Holdings, Mars, the Michelson Center for Public Policy, and HABRI.
- HABRI plans to release a white paper summarizing findings and recommendations from the event.
The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) hosted its third annual Spring Policy Forum on May 5 in Washington, D.C., bringing together leaders from across the pet care, housing, animal welfare, policy, and research sectors to address barriers to pet-inclusive housing.
The forum focused on identifying practical and evidence-based policy solutions that support pet ownership and improve housing accessibility for families with pets.
“Ninety-eight percent of pet owners consider their pets an important member of the family, but too many people are not able to get them or keep them because of restrictions on housing, especially rental housing,” said Steven Feldman, president of HABRI. “HABRI is proud to serve as the convening organization to bring stakeholders together to work on this important issue.”
The event featured a keynote presentation from Lisa Rice, president and CEO of the National Fair Housing Alliance, along with sessions covering disability-related housing protections for assistance animals, market-based housing solutions, impacts on animal welfare systems, and international perspectives from the United Kingdom.
Participants also discussed policy proposals related to breed, weight, and size restrictions on pets, limiting excessive pet fees and deposits, and increasing transparency around apartment pet policies.
During the forum, organizers announced the formation of the Pets and Families Housing Coalition, a new initiative aimed at expanding access to pet-inclusive housing policies at the local, state, and federal levels.
Founding coalition members include the American Pet Products Association (APPA), Independence Pet Holdings (IPH), Mars, the Michelson Center for Public Policy (MCPP), and HABRI.
“With our partners, we are forming the Pets and Families Coalition to coordinate and scale-up our efforts to remove barriers to pet ownership, and that starts with making sure pets have homes to go to,” said Pete Scott, president and CEO of APPA and HABRI board member.
Sammi-Jo Nevin, chief legal officer of Independence Pet Holdings, said housing challenges remain one of the leading causes of pet surrender and emphasized the coalition’s goal of funding and scaling practical solutions that help keep pets with their families.
The forum was supported by presenting sponsors APPA and the World Pet Association, with additional sponsorship from the American Veterinary Medical Association, Mars, Michelson Center for Public Policy, PetSmart Charities, and Zoetis.
HABRI said it plans to release a white paper in the coming weeks summarizing key findings and discussions from the forum.
Information sourced from the company’s press release.
