Pet-Friendly Planning is an effort to make homes and communities more pet-friendly.
Every day, dogs and other domestic animals are abandoned because of housing issues or other pet care difficulties. We want to change that. We provide information to help solve the challenges faced by current or potential pet guardians – challenges that often result in homelessness or euthanasia for animals.
We humans have integrated animals into our lives, but we often fail to consider them when we design neighborhoods and homes. If animals are part of the family, then pet-friendly amenities should be a priority -- not an afterthought. Sharing pet-friendly tips and advocating pet-friendly communities can help solve a few of the problems that cause people to abandon their pets instead of staying with them.
Those of us who are involved in animal rescue see pets abandoned every day, for many reasons. Some of the most common explanations include:
My landlord doesn't allow pets, or doesn't allow my dog's breed/size.
I'm moving, and traveling or house-hunting will be difficult with a pet.
It's too hard to walk the dog or perform other pet-care tasks.
The pet's caregiver has moved, become ill, or died and no one in the family will take over.
My pet has behavioral issues that I don't know how to solve.
I work all day or travel a lot, and there is no one to care for my pet while I'm gone.
We want to help solve these issues so that people can keep their pets.
Of course, there is no magic, one-size-fits-all solution; but information, planning, and advocacy are key. We advocate pet-friendly neighborhoods and cities by supporting laws and ordinances that benefit pets, as well as promoting amenities such as dog parks, walking trails, and pet-friendly restaurants, shops, and workplaces. We champion pet-friendly builders and property managers for their vital role in supporting pet adoption and care. We also join forces with pedestrians and bike riders to promote walkable towns with plenty of green space, so people won’t have to struggle to find places for walking their dogs. If you are facing any of the challenges in the list above, please search our site and social media pages for ideas that might help you to resolve them.
In addition to this website, Pet-Friendly Planning supports several non-profit rescue organizations through donations and substantial volunteer hours. Please support our mission by using and sharing the information on this site, and by following and commenting on our social media pages and blog posts.