e-5046 (Social affairs and equality)

Petition to the House of Commons

• Canadians love, value and rely on the emotional support of their pets;
• More than 60% of Canadian households have cats and dogs, with more than 70% identifying them as family members;
• Pets provide proven benefits like reducing stress, depression and loneliness, and improving social connectedness - aligning with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals;
• Pet restrictions in rental housing lead to housing insecurity, mental health impacts, and homelessness for some tenants with pets, disproportionately affecting young people and vulnerable populations, including seniors and people with disabilities;
• One of the top three reasons people surrender their pets to animal shelters is loss of suitable housing, which is increasing across the country due to national economic challenges;
• Discriminating against renters with pets is unjust and leads to increased surrenders, vulnerability and precarious housing for Canadians;
• Animal shelters across the country are in crisis and are at their capacity;
• Landlords benefit from pet-inclusive housing through increased tenant retention and a sense of community; and
• Ontario addresses the issue of discrimination against pet-owning Canadians in tenancies directly by stating that any provision in a tenancy agreement that prohibits animals is void under section 14 of the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006.