Los Angeles, Keep Pets and Families Together!

L.A. Housing Dept.’s Proposed Language to Evict Pets
ASPCA Position: Oppose

Update—October 6, 2022: Great news! Last week, Los Angeles city councilmembers voted to extend an emergency order that has been protecting Los Angeles renters who acquired pets during the pandemic. This small victory will protect families from eviction through February 2024!'

While we celebrate the decision to give new pet owners more time to plan for their family’s housing needs, we know that options for pet-friendly housing are scarce for renters. For this reason, we will continue pushing the city council to adopt permanent protections for renters with pets. 

Learn More

If we don’t act, countless Los Angeles residents may find themselves having to make a heartbreaking decision: give up their beloved family pet or lose their home.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Los Angeles City Council enacted an emergency order that protected tenants who acquired pets, even if a tenant’s lease explicitly prohibited owning animals. Recently, the Los Angeles Department of Housing recommended that the city council reverse these protections, which could leave families with pets open to eviction or homelessness. Furthermore, if the city council were to proceed with this recommendation, L.A.’s overcrowded and understaffed animal shelters will be flooded with animals who could have, and should have, remained in loving homes.

What You Can Do

For now, renters are protected but that could change. Please use our form below to thank your councilmembers for extending the eviction moratorium and urge them to permanently allow companion animals acquired during the pandemic to reside in their current dwelling for the duration of the pet’s life or for the duration of the current tenant’s occupancy.