A dog owner was forced to give up his beloved pet to avoid becoming homeless after 60 failed attempts to secure rental housing.
James Strauch, 42, from Rhyl, Denbighshire, desperately tried to find a place where he could live with his four-year-old Labrador mastiff cross, Bruno. He even offered landlords an additional £1,000 deposit, but after eight months of searching, he faced the difficult decision of whether to be “homeless with a dog.”
In the end, James made the heart-wrenching choice to give Bruno up.
Dogs Trust, a charity, reported that around 15% of the animals surrendered to its shelters were due to owners moving to new accommodations. However, the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) argues that tenants with pets pose an extra risk for landlords.
James, a maintenance manager and RNLI volunteer, first welcomed Bruno into his home as a puppy when he was living with his former partner. After their relationship ended, James sought a new rental property for himself and Bruno, but he encountered countless rejections.
“I must have applied for 50 or 60 properties,” he said. “When I left Bruno off the application as an oversight, I got responses almost immediately. But as soon as I mentioned the dog, it was an automatic ‘no.'”
Despite offering double or even triple the usual deposit, and promising to redecorate or replace carpets after his tenancy, James couldn’t find a landlord willing to rent to him and Bruno. He spent six months living in a friend’s converted garage but had to leave when the friend’s partner had a baby.
James then faced the “most frustrating, upsetting” decision of giving up Bruno.
“He’s only ever known me. I’m his whole world,” James said. “They’re not just pets—you treat them like family.”
James found someone nearby willing to adopt Bruno, but giving him away was “gut-wrenching.”
“It’s been two months, and I still have sad moments,” he admitted.
Once Bruno was rehomed, James immediately noticed a change in responses from landlords. “Within two days of giving Bruno up, I had a viewing, and within a week, I had the keys to my new home.”
Meanwhile, cat owner George King spent a year looking for accommodation before deciding to hide his pet, Didi, from his landlord. “Landlords didn’t want the hassle of dealing with potential damage from a pet,” he said. “But I thought, ‘this is a cat, not a pit bull.'”
In the UK, there’s no legal right for tenants to keep pets, but guidance suggests landlords shouldn’t unreasonably refuse requests.
Steve Bletsoe, Wales operations manager for the NRLA, emphasized that landlords should retain the right to refuse pets. “When managing a property, it’s about risk, and pets increase that risk,” he explained. “We’re keen to avoid a blanket rule that would force landlords to allow all pets.”
Dogs Trust reported a nearly 30% increase in people surrendering dogs due to housing issues in Wales between March and July of this year, compared to the same period in 2023. Kim Davies, a rehoming manager, said, “Giving up their dog has been a last resort, and it’s heartbreaking for both the dogs and their owners.”
In Wales, guidelines encourage landlords to consider each pet request on a case-by-case basis. However, RSPCA head of public affairs, David Bowles, said, “Landlords are ignoring that guidance.”
The Welsh government is expected to announce measures to support renters with pets, and the UK government is considering changes to rental laws in England. The Renters’ Rights Bill, which had its second reading in Parliament, would require landlords to provide reasons for refusing pet requests. The bill also proposes the introduction of an ombudsman to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants without the need for court proceedings.