One Health

Hello everyone, I wanted to share this poignant article published by the American Animal Hospital Association a few weeks back concerning how housing insecurity impacts the bonds with our pets.

"In veterinary medicine, the importance of the human-animal bond is often discussed in terms of trust, compliance, behavior, and welfare. Housing has, unfortunately, not been prioritized in these conversations, and housing insecurity can very easily lead to the breaking of the human-animal bond as families are forced to choose between safe shelter and their beloved pet. It’s important to understand that this is not a fringe issue. It is at the core of animal welfare and public health, and veterinarians are fundamental to the solution."

Link to Full Article

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Kayla Anderson
Veterinary Social Worker
Program for Pet Health Equity
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Thanks for sharing this @Kayla Anderson. 

The University of Florida published a paper last year about the housing issue as it relates to animal shelters titled "Housing-related companion animal relinquishment across 21 animal shelters in the United States from 2019–2023". They found housing-related issues accounted for 14% of all shelter intakes (28,424 out of ~1,021,204 records) across 21 shelters in 15 states.

If you've ever faced pet-related rental challenges-or found ways to bridge that gap-please share your experience.

Let's be the community where people and pets stay together, even through tough times.

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T' Fisher, Director of Operations
Program for Pet Health Equity
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The Pet-Inclusive Housing Initiative (PIHI) at Michelson Found Animals is released Pets & Housing Data: 2025 Edition, a comprehensive national look at how outdated rental policies, high pet fees, and breed restrictions are driving unnecessary housing instability and heartbreak.

• 79% of properties claim to be pet-friendly, but fewer than 10% are truly pet-inclusive.
• 72% of renters with pets report difficulty finding housing.
• 69% say pet fees are a major barrier.

Thousands of families have had to rehome or hide their pets due to restrictive policies. You can use this dataset to help guide guide your policy, strengthen your advocacy, and help close the pet-inclusivity gap.

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T' Fisher, Director of Operations
Program for Pet Health Equity
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Original Message:
Sent: 08-07-2025 06:25 AM
From: T' Fisher
Subject: Housing Insecurity and the Human-Animal Bond

Thanks for sharing this @Kayla Anderson. 

The University of Florida published a paper last year about the housing issue as it relates to animal shelters titled "Housing-related companion animal relinquishment across 21 animal shelters in the United States from 2019–2023". They found housing-related issues accounted for 14% of all shelter intakes (28,424 out of ~1,021,204 records) across 21 shelters in 15 states.

If you've ever faced pet-related rental challenges-or found ways to bridge that gap-please share your experience.

Let's be the community where people and pets stay together, even through tough times.

------------------------------
T' Fisher, Director of Operations
Program for Pet Health Equity
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