Pet bonds may ease rental woes

Cantabrians are spending thousands of dollars on "pet bonds" to ensure their four-legged friends can move house with them. A lack of pet-friendly rentals has seen animal protection groups swamped with abandoned pets. The Tenants Protection Agency (TPA) knows of one man who paid a $2000 pet bond to secure a rental, and "picky landlords" are being blamed for the increase in the number of abandoned pets. Pam Howard, manager at Bromley's Dog Watch Adoption Centre, said the centre received "heaps of calls weekly" from people looking to rehome their dogs. "There's a shortage of decent rental properties and so much demand. Landlords can be picky nowadays." She said the main reasons for people giving up their dogs were because they were leaving New Zealand, their relationships were breaking up or they could not find a rental that allowed pets. "Another problem is people who are having earthquake repairs done on their homes are struggling to find a short-term lease for two or three months, and if they can find one, then they can't find one that will let them take their pets," she said. MORE>> Holmes For Rent is a company that offers pet-friendly accommodation in Christchurch.