Pet-friendly rentals remain rare in Calgary housing market
Less than 10 per cent of low-cost rentals allow pets, pushing over 500 animals into Calgary Humane Society care yearly.
The Calgary Humane Society is launching a campaign to address a critical gap in the city's rental market: the severe shortage of pet-friendly housing.
Research by the charity suggests that while 53 per cent of Calgarians own a pet, fewer than 10 per cent of affordable rentals allow animals. The result is stark — the Humane Society receives over 500 animals annually surrendered or abandoned due to housing insecurity, often from owners forced to choose between keeping their pet and securing a place to live.
The campaign, developed in partnership with the City of Calgary, aims to pressure landlords and property managers to relax pet restrictions. For renters already struggling with affordability, the pet ban adds another layer of precarity. The effort signals growing recognition that pet ownership shouldn't disqualify someone from stable housing.