The Joy of Pets in Every Home

The Joy of Pets
in Every Home

Why We Exist

Dr. Gary Michelson started the Found Animals Foundation in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, leading to the microchipping and adoption of millions of animals. Committed to developing scalable solutions, he has identified the next opportunity to help: increasing the availability of truly pet-friendly rental housing.

It all starts with data. Michelson Found Animals Foundation and the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) commissioned a much-needed survey to better understand the issues and find the right solutions.

It turns out restrictions bring significant complications to pet-friendly housing.

Common restrictions can be significant hurdles for pet owners. For example, while 77% of pet-friendly rentals allow dogs, half of them have weight-limits averaging 45 pounds. A restriction that may be unnecessary given that almost half of rentals are single-family homes.

THE IMPACT BECOMES CLEAR WHEN YOU START LOOKING AT THE BIG NUMBERS INVOLVED

There are 38 million urban and suburban rental units in America. According to our survey…

33%

of renters say they would get an additional pet if restrictions were lifted

35%

of non-pet-owners in non-pet-friendly housing say they want a pet.

Extrapolating these percentages to the national number of renters,

UP TO 8.75 MILLION PETS COULD FIND GOOD HOMES
IF RESTRICTIONS WERE EASED OVER TIME.

Here’s where the Michelson innovation kicks in – there’s clear financial opportunity for property owners and managers.

Our data found several benefits of pet-friendly policies that may help owner/operators gain a competitive edge. According to our survey,

83%

of property managers say pet-friendly vacancies can be filled faster

79%

say pet-friendly vacancies
are easier to fill!

This creates an opportunity for owner/operators, residents, and pets to win together… and it’s an opportunity we want to help the rental housing industry explore with relevant research, resources, and tools.

In the year ahead, we plan to reach out to the multi-family housing community to spark a dialogue about how we can use this new data for the benefit of all. Our survey found that 92% of all renters and 93% of all property managers agree that pets are important members of the family. We firmly believe our positive connection with animals will drive this conversation so that we can work together to find good homes for every pet.

PET-INCLUSIVE HOUSING INITIATIVE LEADERSHIP

Dr. Gary K Michelson

Philanthropist

Dr. Gary Michelson is a board certified orthopedic spinal surgeon, inventor of more than 990 patents throughout the world, the founder and funder of three private foundations, as well as an inventor, entrepreneur, philanthropist and humane advocate.

Steven Feldman

Executive Director

Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI)

Steven Feldman is the Executive Director of Human Animal Bond Research Institute. HABRI’s mission is to advance, through science, education and advocacy, the vital role of the human-animal bond in the health and well-being of people, pets and communities.

Brett Yates

Acting Executive Director

Michelson Found Animals Foundation.

Brett Yates is the Chief Operations Officer and Acting Executive Director for Michelson Found Animals where he has helped launch and grow the new Return To Owner program, Leap Venture Studios, the Better Neighbor Project, and the Pet-Inclusive Housing Initiative. His goal is to confront the industry's broken legacy systems and create a world where everyone, regardless of their socioeconomic status, has access to the joy of pets

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