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Pets and council housing policies
delboy1
Member Posts: 2 Listener
Hi all, hope all is well, I don’t know if any one can help but I was looking up my rights on keeping my little dog in a council accomdation and this site came up, I’m registered disabled and and get disability allowance, I have full time care, my little gizmo keeps me carm down when I have sezers, and my disfuncthiony movements, I’m in council tempary accommodation and have just been offered a permanent place but was told my dog can’t come, does anyone help, do I have rights, it’s tearing me apart, I’ve had him 4 years now and the help from him is Un real,
Replies
Thanks for sharing this with us, and I'm so sorry to hear about your troubles- it sounds like your dog is a huge part of your life and wellbeing and I hope this can be resolved.
Hopefully our other members will be able to advise, but it may also be a good idea to seek advice from the housing charity Shelter, who are likely more knowledgeable about laws and policies around this issue. Here are their contact details. Wishing you the best of luck, and please do keep us updated.
Councils like a letter from such a person or organisation due to them assuming everything we say is a lie and a trick.
It doesnt have to be provable as long as they agree that your dog helping you as it does is an assistance dog.
Also enquire at the place these dogs come from as not all assistance dogs are from official places there must be a way of giving dogs from other sources that status. Even if you trained it yourself. If it does that job ask those people to give you a letter to back u p your eszential need to have the dog with you a nd that you will be in danger without it.
Or just wait for a place that allows dogs.
As a dog lover myself I have empathy with the difficult dilemma you are in.
Following on from the post by tr88le above.
It is highly unlikely that the housing provider will accept that your pet is an assistance dog unless it has been issued with a 'yellow passport' , which is only given to assistance dogs from specific organisations.
There have been efforts to broaden the criteria of what is an assistance dog but as far as I am aware the 'yellow passport' is still the normal proof that a dog is a genuine assistance dog: http://www.assistancedogs.org.uk/law/
Whilst you can formally request that your housing provider make an exception for your pet because of your individual medical circumstances I doubt they will be willing to consider it unless you can back up your claims with creditable evidence from professionals.
Unfortunately, you may well find that you are left with the unpleasant choice of having to choose between accepting the tenancy or keeping your pet. Accepting the tenancy in the knowledge that you intend to breach it is a high risk strategy, as if you get caught it may result in eviction, although it is to be hoped that you might first receive a warning and be given opportunity to rehome the dog. If you are evicted as a result of breaching the tenancy the local authority may decide that you have made yourself 'intentionally homeless' and refuse to assist you further.
If you decide that housing has to be your priority The Dogs Trust may be able to assist: https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/rehoming/faqs/ Unlike some other rescue organisations they do not put healthy dogs to down and do make a genuine effort to rehome. However, they are often oversubscribed so if you need their help it would be best to contact them as soon as possible.
Best Wishes
Jean
Jean Merrilees BSc MRCOT
You can read more of my posts at: https://community.scope.org.uk/categories/ask-an-occupational-therapist
Maybe that alone will do surely the gp or practice nurse will verify that the dog is essential.