Pet-Friendly Housing

"Pets are Welcome" Program

Lollypop Farm, the Humane Society of Greater Rochester, is striving to become a 'Shelter of Hope' for needy animals by placing every adoptable animal that is admitted to the shelter into a loving home. Two ways this goal can be reached are by (1) finding more homes for admitted pets, and (2) reducing admissions to the shelter. In doing so, more pets may find homes in rental communities and fewer pets may enter the shelter, thus reducing, and eventually eliminating, the need for pet-euthanasia.

The Pets Are Welcome (P.A.W.) Program is one of several initiative being used to achieve the 'Shelter of Hope' goal. P.A.W. directly addresses the two ways to achieving the 'Shelter of Hope' Goal mentioned above.

Encouraging and helping housing managers to rent to responsible pet owners, will increase the number of homes open to pets.

Since many animals are surrendered to the shelter each year because their owners have difficulty finding rental properties that allow pets, assisting tenants in finding pet-friendly housing will reduce admissions to the shelter. The P.A.W. program encourages communication between rental management and responsible, pet-owning tenants. If rental management and pet owners work together, they can create a mutually beneficial pet-friendly environment, keeping the pet's family intact and ensuring protection of management's properties.

Download a copy of the Pets are Welcome Brochure with helpful information for both landlords and tenants.

The Pets Are Welcome Program aims to:

• provide housing management with the tools necessary to identify responsible pet owners, create and enforce pet policies and pet riders to leases, and solve pet peeves before they become pet problems.
• offer assistance with establishing pet policies and in answering question regarding animal behavior and pet ownership;
• help responsible pet owners find pet-friendly rental housing and help housing management advertise its pet-friendly properties by maintaining the Rochester Pet-Friendly Apartment List.
• show responsible pet owners how to present their pets and themselves as the good tenants that they can be.
• This brochure provides information needed to pave the way for open and honest communication between property management and tenants. However, property managers and tenants are encouraged to contact the Humane Society at Lollypop Farm for assistance.