Housing association saying 'no' to therapy dog

carefullycautious

Could he do some volunteer dog walking/sitting as a start to see if he has what it takes to look after a dog.


We have owned dogs for all of our married life and it is a 360 day commitment going out at least 2x daily in all weathers.


Training and socialising a dog is a must if you want it to thrive and understand commands and be able to interact with other people and animals


Poop scooping and disposal of is another big factor


Veterinary insurance a must nowadays unless you have at your disposal thousands of pounds which it can cost if there are problems.


I am not trying to put you off but it is a huge commitment and I certainly would not be advocating your friend/client? gets one without first seeing if he is able to commit to the animals continuing care which volunteering would prove. A local rescue would love a helping hand with walking etc


Good Luck

Person_one

carefullycautious wrote: »

We have owned dogs for all of our married life and it is a 360 day commitment going out at least 2x daily in all weathers

Living in a flat with no garden, make that 5 times daily, or more if needed. Oh I love rainy cold days! :rotfl:

duchy

csgohan4 wrote: »

The other issue is, your client has autism as well as mental health issues. There is no guarantee that a well meaning therapy dog could turn into a neglect RSPCA case.

There's no reason why anyone on the autistic spectrum would be any more (or less) likely to neglect an animal

I remember years ago the CPL turned us down for a kitten because my son had Aspergers. A couple of years later they were begging me to foster for them after one of their big cheese's cats took it into their head to move into mine and they got to know me. They did apologize for their inspector's ignorance and commented that my son was one of the reasons they were keen for us to join the fostering team as he had so much time and patience and a knack with cats in general and timid or abused ones in particular.

zippy1969

tomtontom wrote: »

People are not allergic to dogs or cats, they're allergic to dander - which *all* cats and dogs have to varying extents.

Have you discussed the possibility of moving? I understand the difficulties he will have with change, but he seems happy to take on a massive change in wanting a dog.

It's actually the cats saliva that causes cat allergies. So in effect it is an allergy to the cat.

He's definitely not allergic to dogs... so he says.

Gonzo1987

There may be something written in the head lease of the block of flats prohibiting keeping pets. In most leasehold properties there is.

Person_one

zippy1969 wrote: »

It's actually the cats saliva that causes cat allergies. So in effect it is an allergy to the cat.

He's definitely not allergic to dogs... so he says.

If that was the case, he probably wouldn't be allergic to rabbits. Rabbit allergies tend to mean that the person is affected by all animals that shed fur, from mice to horses!

That in itself doesn't mean they can't have a dog, I am allergic but have two non-shedding breeds. It does mean a French Bulldog wouldn't be suitable (to be honest I'd advise against one anyway they are prone to many health problems and can mean expensive vet bills/insurance premiums).

Be careful here though, is your client being completely open with you? Is it possible that he's got stuck on the idea of having a dog now and isn't really thinking about the barriers/downsides/responsibilities etc?

I think that volunteering with dogs would be a great idea to 'test the water' without too much commitment or risk. If your client finds that he really benefits from contact with dogs and it improves his health, then perhaps he could reconsider moving to a more suitable home as the HA have generously offered. There's no need to be rushing headlong into anything here.

zippy1969

duchy wrote: »

There's no reason why anyone on the autistic spectrum would be any more (or less) likely to neglect an animal

I remember years ago the CPL turned us down for a kitten because my son had Aspergers. A couple of years later they were begging me to foster for them after one of their big cheese's cats took it into their head to move into mine and they got to know me. They did apologize for their inspector's ignorance and commented that my son was one of the reasons they were keen for us to join the fostering team as he had so much time and patience and a knack with cats in general and timid or abused ones in particular.

This is very true.

In fact I would say that my clients autism would actually make him a better dog owner than alot of 'normal' people I come across.

His autism means he's very organised and goes about everything in a methodical manner... so would be very thorough in his approach to owning the dog. And he's a very caring and loyal guy too.

t0rt0ise

If you're going to quote an Act it should be the Equality Act 2010 now.


You also should not be saying things that sound like "he's doing it so I should be allowed". It sounds really childish and gets you nowhere in the law. The rules being considered apply to your client and the fact that others have ignored them is no defence.


As they've sent out letters about the currently owned pets it sounds as if they are starting to make a stand and refuse all new requests. It is very difficult for them to enforce in retrospect. Forcing people to get rid of pets is not a road they'd want to travel.


I think you would have been better approaching the whole thing from the disability perspective. Why not get in touch with Dogs for the Disabled and see if they can help via the PAWS service.

zippy1969

Had a reply from the MP:

Dear Mr xxxxxxxxx

Thank you for your email.

xxxxx xxxxx(MP) has today sent an enquiry to your housing association on your behalf. When he receives a response I will contact you again to discuss.

Please be aware that your housing association is an independent organisation which sets its own policy and procedures and your MP is not able to intervene.

Yours sincerely

I helped my client send a reply as follows:

Thank you for your response and to my MP for writing to the housing association on my behalf.

Regarding the housing association being an independent organisation, this does not mean their policies and procedures should be exempt from government scrutiny.

As you will have noted, I am disabled and my request for a therapeutic dog is based around my disabilities. I have asked my housing association for a 'reasonable adjustment' to their stance as per the Disability Discrimination Act. They are required to adhere to this act and therefore this should be something an MP can intervene with.

Additionally, if my housing association still refuse my request, I would wish to go to the housing ombudsman. This requires a referral from an MP.

Regards,

zippy1969

t0rt0ise wrote: »

If you're going to quote an Act it should be the Equality Act 2010 now.


You also should not be saying things that sound like "he's doing it so I should be allowed". It sounds really childish and gets you nowhere in the law. The rules being considered apply to your client and the fact that others have ignored them is no defence.


As they've sent out letters about the currently owned pets it sounds as if they are starting to make a stand and refuse all new requests. It is very difficult for them to enforce in retrospect. Forcing people to get rid of pets is not a road they'd want to travel.


I think you would have been better approaching the whole thing from the disability perspective. Why not get in touch with Dogs for the Disabled and see if they can help via the PAWS service.

The letter pointed out the discrepancies in the housing association policy and the lack of enforcement. There was no "he's doing it so I will" involved. If they interpret it like that then it's their business. We simply highlighted the discrepancies.