Helping Pet-Owning Renters Keep Their Pets: Free, Easy-to-Use Tools for Animal Welfare Organizations

At Michelson Found Animals’ Pet-Inclusive Housing Initiative, we know how deeply animal welfare organizations care about keeping people and pets together. But we also understand that diving into housing advocacy and support can feel overwhelming. You're already doing so much, and housing can seem like a whole different world.That’s why we’ve built a toolkit of free, actionable, volunteer-friendly resources specifically to help animal shelters, rescues, and community groups support pet-owning renters without requiring staff to become policy experts or social workers.Here’s how you can help your community without adding to your plate.

Give Pet Owners the Tools to Navigate Housing

Start by sharing our renter-friendly materials at intake, adoption events, clinic check-ins, or in your waiting room:

• Guide for Renters with Cats & Dogs – Covers communication, housetraining, pet hygiene, and safety.
• Dog-Friendly Living Guide – Practical tips for behavior, enrichment, insurance, and apartment etiquette.
• Cat-Friendly Living Guide – Helps renters create cat-friendly environments and manage stressors.
• Understanding the Fair Housing Act – Breaks down the Fair Housing Act for renters with support animals.
• ESA Letter Template – Helps pet parents notify rental housing providers about ESA accommodations.
• Pet Accommodation Request Template – A friendly, non-confrontational letter renters can use to request permission to keep a pet.

These are ideal for volunteers to share, and they can make a life-changing difference with minimal effort.

Help Families Pay for Pet Fees - Without Strings

Financial barriers force many pet surrenders. Help families stay together with the Funding Guide for Pet Deposits, Fees, and Rent, which walks you through:

• Estimating local needs using shelter data
• Sharing real stories with donors
• Tracking impact with simple metrics
• Offering assistance without burdensome requirements

You don’t need a huge grant to get started - a fundraiser hosted by a youth group, local business, or volunteer team could be enough to make a big impact.

Offer Housing Providers Practical, Pre-Built Solutions

Encourage renters and rental housing providers to use our ready-made materials that promote responsible pet ownership and flexibility:

• Sample Pet Agreement – A pet addendum that emphasizes humane training, sanitation, and renter accountability, without breed or size restrictions.
• Pet Personality Profile (PPP) – An alternative to blanket restrictions. This questionnaire helps rental housing providers understand each pet as an individual rather than relying on arbitrary bans.

These tools are easy to share and discuss with rental operators and can be part of a proactive accommodation request or adoption follow-up packet.

Celebrate Pet-Inclusive Housing Champions

Rental housing providers doing the right thing deserve recognition! Use our Celebration Guide to:

• Highlight pet-friendly rentals on your website or social media
• Thank rental housing providers with cards, treats, or shout-outs
• Keep and share a list of supportive properties in your area

Shelters and rescues can foster local partnerships that build long-term inclusive housing just by acknowledging good actors.Partner on Adoption Events at ApartmentsYour local rental communities might be open to hosting an adoption or foster event - they just don’t know how. That’s where our Event Planning Resource comes in:

• Sample layout and timeline
• Roles for property volunteers
• Resident incentives (like waived fees!)
• Partnership ideas with trainers or pet stores

Volunteers or fosters can coordinate these events with very little overhead, and they can build new foster and adopter pipelines.

Talk to Rental Housing Providers With Confidence

Not sure how to start the conversation about pet policies? Use our Rental Housing Conversation Guide to:

• Understand where policies come from
• Speak a housing provider’s language
• Suggest alternatives to breed/weight limits
• Highlight how pets benefit their business too

You don’t need to fight - just inform, connect, and share your experience.

Connect with a Broader Network of Allies

Want to deepen your efforts? We’ve compiled a list of housing-focused animal welfare partners, including:

• ASPCA
• HWA
• Best Friends
• CARE
• My Dog is My Home
• RedRover
• HEART LA
• My Pitbull is Family
• SAF-T, and more

Volunteers or advocacy-minded staff can plug into these networks for inspiration, mentorship, and collaboration.

Final Thought: You Can Do This - with Volunteers and a Vision

Tackling housing may sound like a big lift. But with these plug-and-play tools, your shelter or rescue can help renters and their pets without taking on a new department. Volunteers can lead the charge. Front desk staff can distribute flyers. Donors can support emergency fees. Everyone can play a role.Housing challenges don’t have to be a barrier to your life-saving mission.Let’s keep pets with their people and out of the shelter system.Have questions? Want to get involved with PIHI? Reach out—we’re here to help: info@petsandhousing.org, petsandhousing.org