Calgary woman says the cost of renting with a pet has forced her to live in her truck
CBC
For two months, Amanda Lease and her four-year-old dog Krue have been living in her pickup truck — sleeping in underground parkades and in front of friends' houses in Calgary.
Lease can't find a rental she can afford, let alone one that accepts pets, she says.
"The housing crisis in this city has put us in this position," she said.
"Even if you find something in your price range that will allow an animal, they hold bidding wars and take whoever's got the highest budget."
She says it's been hot and stressful, but she would rather be in this situation than give up Krue — she needs him and he needs her.
Lease isn't the only one. Some animal welfare services are facing peak demand, in big part from Calgarians who can't find affordable pet-friendly rentals. Some organizations are noticing more people choosing to go unhoused, while others are struggling to keep up with surrenders.
That's as Calgary's rent prices continue to increase and the rental vacancy rate remains at a near-decade low, according to the latest data from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
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Founder Melissa David says yesterday alone, she received 11 calls for help from pet owners in the city who have recently become unhoused.
Atop the increasing cost of rent and tight rental vacancy, David says having a pet has become a major barrier to finding a home.
"Our pets are our family. We can't just simply surrender them to find a home. So now we're giving up a basic need to stay with our family, and it's horrifying and it's really stressful," said David.
She says some pet owners are paying upwards of $300 for pet fees. Others are waiting in line-ups with dozens of other applicants to view pet-friendly rentals, she says.
At this rate, David says she's expecting the organization to receive 150 per cent more requests than they did last year.
Last September, CBC Calgary looked into this issue and reported that about 100 animals per year are surrendered because their owners can't find a place to accept them.
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