The Rental Situation - Help us to create change!

Written by Jessica Proietti ( ACS Brisbane Shelter Manager/ACS Founder)

In 2007 ACS have received many guinea pigs into our care, more than previous years, where families are forced to surrender their beloved guinea pigs due to changes in rental agreements or due to moving to a new home that won't allow guinea pigs on the property. Many of the surrenders have been distressing for the families not to mention the guinea pigs. In turn here at ACS we to have to witness very emotional partings. Guinea pigs are being greatly misconceived by many rental property landlords and owners as being messy, filthy, contagious animals. This is a silent situation not often addressed and it's time something is done about it.

It is well known that more than two thirds of Australian households have pets and we have one of the highest rates of pets in the household in the world. In today's society many people cannot afford to buy their own home and many have to opt to rent or share. Many young people and elderly people in particular are forced to move to share accomodation or retirement unit environments. people of ALL ages deserve to be able to have a companion pet in their life the positives of having a pet are endless including emotionally, to teach good values and responsibility and pets have also been proven to help their owners on a physical level.

Here at ACS we are sure that guinea pigs are not the only companion animals suffering from the effects of the widespread rental dilemna. Many cats, dogs, birds and other companion animals also suffer, with other animal shelters such as the RSPCA also receiving animals into their care as a last resort for families that have been told they are not allowed to keep pets on their rental property or unit.

Why don't people just find pet friendly accomodation then they won't have this problem and have to give up their beloved pets?

The answer is that yes their are some places that allow pets and a bit of searching wouldn't go astray if you truly love your pets as part of the family but the situation is that their really are not all that many places that will accept pets. Their are also situations where people are told they can bring their pet/s onto the property but once they are a paying tenant they are then told they cannot keep their pets. 

Why is their such a widespread problem?

Their are many reasons animals may not be allowed on rental property but in this article we'll focus on guinea pigs for the time being. We believe one of the main reasons is misconception about the cleanliness of guinea pigs. Over many years their has been a lack of education about the proper care of guinea pigs and as a result their has been a widespread misconception that guinea pigs are a cheap, disposable, backyard pet that are messy, smell, will mow the lawn and are unhygenic. It has not been until recent years that this view has begun to change due to better education about guinea pigs all round by the ACS in particular among other animal organisations. Many of the overseas views and ways of keeping guinea pigs have slowly begun to catch on to Australians and guinea pigs are becoming more and more seen now days as a clean lovable pet in which you can keep indoors. The fact is though that their are still many people out their today that are uneducated on these views and we believe this is where misconceptions can still remain by rental property owners.

Another reason guinea pigs may be an issue is that not everyone will keep their guinea pig/s clean and tidy and it's the few that don't that really don't help the situation at all. It is up to the individual owner of the guinea pig/s to make sure that their pets are kept clean and tidy at all times. Guinea pigs that are not kept in a clean and tidy environment and where their food and bedding is not sealed, stored and disposed of appropriately then the results will typically be a risk of unwanted rodents entering the property and the guinea pig/s will eventually make a mess and will smell and ruin the appeal and overall cleanliness of the property.

What is the BIG difference between allowing a guinea pig on a rental property compared to another pet such as a dog, cat or bird?

Not to say that dogs, cats or birds shouldn't be accepted but their is quite a difference between the keeping of a guinea pig compared to these other common companion pets. Below is a quick list of why a guinea pig in particular is actually the perfect pet for keeping on a rental property and why they should be acceptable.

- Guinea Pigs will not create a noise problem they do not bark, growl or chirp!

- Guinea pigs DO NOT smell if kept on clean bedding. It is up to the individual to maintain their environment.

- Guinea pigs DO NOT have an odour like many other rodents carry.

- Guinea pigs will not try to escape the yard they are contained in their enclosure.

- Guinea Pigs do not carry fleas or parasites which could pass on to humans or infest the household.

- Guinea pigs can be kept on towels, fleece, shredded paper or recycled paper kitty litter for extra cleanliness and this bedding can be easily disposed of and thrown away in the garbage bin.

- Guinea pigs will not urinate or leave faeces in the yard or in the house.

- Guinea pigs are herbivores and their faeces do not smell they smell like ' condensed hay ' if anything and can be recycled as good compost.

- Guinea pigs generally do not shed hair.

- Guinea pigs can be kept in an indoors enclosure if the property owner does not want their lawn used. An indoor enclosure can also be beneficial to those without a backyard or to the elderly.

- Guinea pigs to not require the space that a dog or cat would need. They are happy to live in their enclosure/s.

- Guinea pigs do not bite, jump or chew things.

Gandalf's Story

The story that recently tipped the edge enough for ACS Founder ' Jessica ' to take action.

Meet Gandalf ( pictured above and right ). Gandalf is the latest surrender to ACS Brisbane Shelter. Gandalf was set to be boarding at the shelter here in the coming weeks over Christmas but a few days ago I received an emotional call from Gandalf's owner explaining that she had to surrender him within a week. Gandalf had spent more than 2 and a half years with his previous owner and being her only pet they had developed a very close bond. Gandalf was pampered by his previous owner living in an indoor enclosure, bedded on towels and recycled paper kitty litter, snoozing in his little piggy houses and being pampered at night by snoozing on his owners bed. Gandalf was exceptionally well kept and was a very clean boy with not a stain to his beautiful white coat. When Gandalf's owner rung ACS Brisbane shelter she was in tears she had been told by her landlord that she was able to keep her beloved guinea pig with her in her new share house accomodation but within several weeks of moving to her new accomodation she was then told by the owner that she was now not allowed to keep the guinea pig and that she had a week to rehome him and once rehomed that the property be completely fumigated and sterlised so to speak.

With no success in re-homing Gandalf  as a last resort his owner brought him to the shelter this week with all accessories including his cage, all asseccories, mite treatments, bedding, feed etc etc. It was obvious to me once Gandalf arrived at the shelter that he was kept immaculately in his previous home. When I finally got to meet Gandalf I saw a very large healthy guinea pig who was exceptionally clean and very much loved. He had a look in his eyes that a guinea pig will get when they know that they are very much loved. Everything he came with was also very clean. It was an emotional parting between Gandalf and his previous owner but not the only one I have had to witness this year as a result of rental issues and it's very difficult for me to have to accept guinea pigs into the shelter who just shouldn't have to end up here.

This time has been the icing on the cake for me personally I guess and basically it will be the last time I sit and have to watch this happen. This week I will be creating a survey I plan on giving to real estates and rental owners to receive feedback on their views and opinions of animals being allowed on rental properties and also to find out if their are misconceptions about that need to be address. I also hope to give educational talks on small animals to hopefully change the views that many still carry. If I receive permission from Gandalf's previous owner I will be taking his case further and hope that many will support me with this. I hope as a result  to see Gandalf and his previous owner re-united. If in the case my efforts do not succeed I hope that I can change the views of some in the process and hope that a special new family can be found for Gandalf.

If you have had any experiences in the accomodation industry with your pets either good or bad we would love to hear your opinion to help us further our knowledge on the subject. If you have any feedback or comments on the above article we would also love to hear from you. If you have suggestions on questions that we can place in our survey we would appreciate your input. Please contact ACS Brisbane Shelter at fizzygirl28@hotmail.com or 07 3882 1184 or 0431 966 054.

Jessica      

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