Heartache as family forced to give up beloved dog to get a home
The charity said it is currently looking for the right home for Toby, a 12-year-old spaniel, who was surrendered to Dogs Trust despite his family searching for a rental home for eight months.
Dogs Trust said Toby was not an isolated case. Last year, the charity received an average of more than one request per day from families needing to give up their dog because they were unable to find a pet-friendly rental. The charity said it is currently looking for the right home for Toby, a 12-year-old spaniel, who was surrendered to Dogs Trust despite his family searching for a rental home for eight months. Pic: Fran Veale
These types of requests have increased by 112% since 2020. A spokesman said: 'One of the most heartbreaking victims of this rental crisis is Toby, who was adopted from Dogs Trust in 2012.
'When his family's landlord decided to sell the property they were living in, Toby's family began looking for suitable accommodation right away. Despite months of searching, they couldn't find anywhere that would accept Toby.'
Toby's previous owner said: 'Giving up Toby was one of the hardest things we've ever had to do. He was the family dog and had grown up alongside our kids. He was part of every memory and every milestone, and it's been very tough on them.
'When we faced the reality of homelessness, we had no choice. It felt like we were being forced to give up a member of our family.'
Dogs Trust has launched a petition to urge the Government to change the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 and stop allowing blanket bans on pets in tenancy agreements. Visit dogstrust.ie/petition.
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