For most of her life, Rachel White has coped with severe anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder through the help of a pet.
“Growing up I had a dog, Bailey, who was amazing and would come with me everywhere. She stood beside me to make me feel safe,” said White, 32.
She has also been comforted by her partner’s cat during anxiety attacks.
“Times when I’ve had invasive or intrusive thoughts, having a pet to distract me, calmed me down,” she said.
But since White has lived in social housing for the past four years, she has been unable to have a pet because most buildings don’t allow them.
“It’s unfair that I might never be able to have a pet because I live in government housing and it’s unfair for others, too,” she said. “We already feel alienated. Having a pet is a way to show we’re capable of lots of things and it’s comforting.”
That is why White has started a petition to change provincial legislation, giving emotional support animals similar status to that of guide animals in rental situations.
She said the status would be granted by a medical professional to people with disabilities. She added that a pet damage deposit and weight limit for the animals is also part of her proposal.
She plans to present the petition, which has 100 signatures, to Victoria NDPMLA Carole James to discuss in the legislature. She has letters of support from disability and animal advocacy groups, including the SPCA, and has asked Victoria council to write a letter of support to Housing Minister Rich Coleman.
“This is already done in the U.S.,” she said.
The difference would be that emotional support animals would not have to go through the extensive training that service animals do. “Having a service dog is very expensive because of the training you need. Most people on disability can’t afford it.”
White, who receives a disability income of $900 a month and works part time as a newspaper carrier, has lived at a Greater Victoria Housing Society building for the past four years. The GVHS is a non-profit, charitable organization dedicated to providing affordable rental housing for low- to-moderate-income families, seniors, working singles, and adults with disabilities who live independently.
None of the 15 GVHS buildings allow cats or dogs, unless they are service animals. Executive director Kaye Melliship said the organization doesn’t have the resources to manage extra maintenance or disputes around pets in their buildings.
“It’s difficult. I understand a lot of tenants would like to have pets and we allow anything legislated,” she said. Caged pets like fish and birds are allowed but their policy on no “roaming animals” will remain.
Melliship said the organization has helped tenants transfer to other buildings that do allow pets.
“That is always an option for someone,” she said.
White said she has been on wait lists for pet-friendly buildings for more than a year but wants her petition to make a change for everyone.
“I have never done anything like this,” she said. “But I think it’s really important for people.”
The petition can be signed at Godfrey’s Luggage and Leather at Douglas and Bay streets.
