Lawmakers in Congress are considering a bill aimed at keeping animals and their owners together when seeking shelter due to an emergency or homelessness.

What You Need To Know

  • Congress is considering a bill aimed at keep animals and their owners together when seeking shelter due to an emergency or homelessness

  • The bill would create a grant program to modify and upgrade structures to serve as interim and permanent housing to accommodate unhoused individuals with pets

  • A 2015 study found as many as a 25% of people experiencing homelessness own pets

  • The bill is up for consideration as part of the Farm Bill, a twice-per-decade package of legislation governing U.S. agriculture and food policy

Rep. Jason Crow, a Democrat, told Spectrum News that a car ride with his 10-year-old daughter in his Aurora, Colo., district provided the inspiration for the bill, known as the Providing for Unhoused People with Pets Act (PUPP Act).

"Both of my kids are very concerned about the the homelessness crisis around the country. My daughter, in particular, is very concerned about animals. So, we noticed that a lot of the unhoused folks in our community had pets and that was very heartbreaking to to all of us. So, we actually started to do some research as to why this was the case and we under we uncovered a huge gap in resources," said Crow. 

The bipartisan legislation, sponsored by Crow, would create a grant program to modify and upgrade structures to serve as interim and permanent housing to accommodate unhoused individuals with pets.

“Unfortunately, there's just a huge lack of pet friendly housing," said Ingrid Seggerman, the interim Managing Senior Director of Federal Affairs at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, one of the national organizations advocating for the legislation.

“Sometimes that means someone has this impossible choice of choosing to find themselves shelter and be somewhere safe or remaining on the street somewhere with their animal because that shelter won't allow an animal in,” Seggerman added.  

A 2015 study found as many as a 25% of people experiencing homelessness own pets. Among all Americans, 2023 statistics put pet ownership at 66%.

Advocates for the PUPP Act say that at a moment's notice, an emergency, natural disaster or economic issue could require someone to seek shelter. It is during that process that people quickly learn they can’t bring a pet with them.

My Dog Is My Home, a nonprofit organization working to expand shelter access to those experiencing homelessness and their animals, urged lawmakers to pass the bill.

“I would say the general rule of thumb in homeless services is that no pets are allowed," said Christine Kim, the nonprofit's founder. "In an emergency shelter, that is absolutely the case where the standard procedure is that no pets are allowed."

The bill is up for consideration as part of the Farm Bill, a twice-per-decade package of legislation governing U.S. agriculture and food policy. Seggerman and Crow said the bill legislation has a good chance of passing and becoming law as part of the package.

Supporters of the PUPP Act say that despite bipartisan support for the bill, there are some barriers in getting the legislation passed. It would require approval for additional government funding at a time when many Republicans are seeking drastic cuts to federal spending. Congress is also facing a number of crucial priorities, including agreeing on government funding for the 2024 fiscal year and passing funding for Ukraine, Israel and the U.S.-Mexico border.

“The major barrier is Congress's ability to achieve outcomes and pass legislation and get things passed," Seggerman said. 

Crow encourages Americans who support the measure to call their representatives to back the bill: "The more co-sponsors we get in the House, the better chance we have of getting this on the floor for a vote."