- December 4, 2025
Recently, I recorded an episode of "Speaking of Animals," the Flagler Humane Society's podcast on Flagler Broadcasting with special guest Susan Riggs who is the Senior Director of Housing Policy for the ASPCA. We discussed the PUPP Act which stands for Providing for Unhoused People and Pets.
This legislation has been sponsored by Congressman Jason Crow of Colorado with bipartisan support in the U.S. House of Representatives. A lack of housing is one of the most common if not the most common reason U.S. animal shelters are receiving animals today.
The problem is twofold.
1.) There are people who are homeless. They may have chosen homelessness during a financial crisis rather than giving up a four-legged family member when they are faced with expensive, restrictive rental housing policies.
2) Then there are the families who are forced to give up their pets so that they can keep a roof over their kids’ heads. "No pet" rules, breed and weight restrictions and additional financial barriers such as higher deposits, monthly pet rent and nonrefundable fees make it hard for pet parents who rent to keep their pets.
There are even homeowners associations with arbitrary rules about how many and what size pets a homeowner can have. Many cities have rules about the number of pets a homeowner can have, even though some pet parents can take great care of several animals while others may not be able to take proper care of one.
All of these rules can be a bit discriminatory and can cause animals to end up in shelters or worse. The PUPP Act would make federal funding available in the form of grants to retrofit homeless and domestic violence shelters so they can accommodate pets.
Too often, individuals in crisis must choose between housing and the animal that provides them comfort and security. The PUPP Act seeks to eliminate that barrier. Discussions on The PUPP Act can help educate property owners with rentals to open them up to pets.
As a property owner myself with rentals, I won’t rent to anyone unless they have dogs. I can require that the dogs are sterilized and current on vaccines, but allowing pets opens our houses up to a tremendous pool of renters. We never have to worry about a house not being rented out.
On “Speaking of Animals” Susan Riggs explained how governments and the ASPCA have been collaborating to change housing legislation. Colorado recently enacted a law to require state-financed housing to allow pets and caps excessive pet fees.
To ensure that families with pets or other animals are not disqualified from publicly funded housing projects, similar legislation has been approved in California and Nevada. These laws not only keep families intact but also reduce pressure on already overcrowded shelters.
Pets are often the only source of stability for people experiencing homelessness. The PUPP Act offers a realistic path forward by easing the burden on shelters, safeguarding the bond between people and their animals and providing a source of comfort for both animals and humans.
If you feel that no one should be forced to choose between having a safe shelter to sleep at night and keeping their pet, contact your congressman, Rep. Randy Fine in Flagler County, Ormond and Daytona Beach, or Sens. Rick Scott and Ashley Moody.
Amy Carotenuto is the executive director of Flagler Humane Society
