The Société protectrice des animaux (SPA) Estrie is joining its voice with the Montreal SPCA, after the latter launched a petition this week calling on the Quebec government to eliminate no-pet clauses in residential leases across the province.
The online petition can be found on the National Assembly website. The SPCA argues that it has become increasingly difficult to find animal-friendly housing in Quebec. A Leger survey conducted in November 2021 found that 52 per cent of households have a companion animal.
SPA Estrie Communication Agent Marie-Pier Quirion told The Record that the no-pet clause puts low-income households at a disadvantage. They already struggle to find affordable housing, she explained, and it’s next to impossible to find a landlord willing to accept pets.
The no-pet clause has also led to more and more Quebecers abandoning their animals. The SPCA claims nearly one animal per day is abandoned at the shelter due to housing reasons. SPA Estrie has also seen an increase in abandoned pets due to people going through a move.
“Since the beginning of the year, we’ve received 50 abandoned animals at the SPA due to housing reasons. The landlord doesn’t accept pets, they can’t find housing, so they need to separate themselves from their animals,” Quirion said in a phone interview.
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