Pet Registration Scheme Apartment Services

1. Pet Registration Scheme Apartment Services

2. Have we got a problem with pets? • Yes ! • Animal hoarding • Property condition/smells • Dog barking • Dog fouling in communal areas • Aggressive and intimidating behaviour including illegal dog fighting • Illegal and unregulated animal breeding • Breach of tenancy • Mixed messages -Signs in some blocks to advertise a pet registration scheme

3. Problem or Pet?

4. Why introduce a pet policy? • Salix Homes currently has no Pet Policy for officers and customers to use as a guide to keeping and managing pets in a Salix Homes property • A strong need to ensure that all Pets are kept in line with the terms of the tenancy agreement • The Tenancy Enforcement team have struggled to resolvesome complaints about nuisance generated from pets in properties efficiently and effectively without a defined Policy in place • Salix Homes recognises the positive effect owning a pet can have on the general health and well being of our customers • To ensure that customers who currently own a pet are treated fairly, with an appreciation of their emotional relationship with their pet. • A fair policy is needed not just on High Rise and Low Rise Apartment blocks but for all Customers living within Salix Homes properties including supported and sheltered housing customers. The policy will also cover leaseholders

5. Research • Manchester Dogs Homes • Housemark • RSPCA • Wandsworth Council – Best Practice • North Estate Services Peer Group • Customer feedback and complaints • Staff focus groups and staff feedback

6. Findings • Staff and customers are both dissatisfied with the current way of tackling pet related tenancy management complaints • Current practice of enforcement can be inconsistent and seen as unfair, varying from case to case • Staff and customer discussions showed that both wanted clearly defined policy and procedure to follow • Wandsworth Council has led the way in clamping down on problems caused by anti social tenants using so called dog status to harass their neighbours. From 2009 it has been a condition that all residents on all estates have their dog micro chipped and sign to agree to the terms and conditions of the pet policy. • Micro chipping makes it easier to trace the owners of stray dogs, and make it less likely that owners will dump status dogs once they fall out of fashion. • Micro chipping has the full backing of the RSPCA and Manchester Dogs Home. • Manchester Dogs Home have worked alongside Salix Homes to ensure the policy is fair to all pets and their owners

7. What do we want to do • Register all animals living in our properties – scheme to commence on High Rise blocks • During registration the pet itself is to be micro chipped • Focus will predominately be on Dogs although we do recognise Cats are also prohibited and as such Cat owners will be asked to register and chip their cats. (complaints about cats are mainly dealt with through property condition)Existing customers are to be offered an amnesty day where if they attend the block event, register their pet and get the pet micro chipped we will allow the pet to be kept until the animal dies • Customers who fail to register their pet will be subject to breach of tenancy and enforcement action may be taken against them • New customers to sign an agreement and be issued with the pet policy to ensure no further pets are allowed into the property and no breaches occur

8. What next? • Policy and procedure have been written and shared with staff who are keen to roll out the scheme ASAP • Panel to sign off policy and procedure • SMT to sign off policy and procedure • Work alongside the Empty Properties team and the Tenancy Enforcement team to ensure all are trained, aware and understand the policy and procedure • Hold a series of open days/customer events per block which will be held in partnership with Manchester Dogs Home and possibly sponsored by Tesco (free dog food, cat litter etc once the dog has been chipped) • Pet owners will be issued with a voucher for a price reduction to get animal spayed or neutered • Test Block – Fitzwarren Court • Align all Salix Homes chips with national database

9. Working in Partnership with Manchester Dogs Home • In return for a nominal donation to Manchester Dogs Home they have agreed to assist with the following: • Handheld scanners to be supplied at cost price • First 500 micro chips for free then £2.50 per chip – initial quotes supplied by Pet Medics at £25.00 per micro chip • Free micro chipping events / Pet educational awareness days • Free training to all relevant staff • Free sponsorship agreed by pedigree chum, IAMS and potentially the new local Tesco

10. The Future • Year on year reduction of pets in blocks • Reduction in nuisance cases relating to pets and those cases that arise will have the full backing of our Legal team • All new customers will be abiding to the terms of the policy and their tenancy agreement • Ability to monitor all animals coming in and out of the blocks by all Apartment Services team members, 1st Response team/patrols and Tenancy Enforcement team. Immediate challenging and tenancy warnings will now be possible through handheld scanners • All chips registered on central database linked to national database and Salix Homes scanners • Training for all related staff on how to scan animals safely

11. Any Questions ?