A new national campaign is calling for changes to housing and support policies that leave people experiencing homelessness excluded because they refuse to give up their pets. The No One Left Outside campaign was unveiled during a speech to the All-Party Parliamentary Dog Advisory Welfare Group (APDAWG) on Tuesday (10 February).
Campaigners say people are routinely turned away from accommodation and services because they have pets, forcing them to remain on the streets rather than abandon animals that provide companionship, safety and emotional stability. The issue, they argue, is contributing to a growing and avoidable crisis.
Street Paws, a charity supporting homeless people and their pets across the north of England, is leading the call for reform. The charity is urging the government to clarify housing policy so that social landlords do not unreasonably refuse pets where a risk assessment shows it is safe to do so.
Street Paws says this principle already exists in the private rented sector and would require no new legislation or funding. The campaign has received backing from celebrity animal advocates Ricky Gervais and Peter Egan, both of whom appeared in After Life. The programme’s dog character Brandy was played by Antilly, who was also an ambassador for Street Paws before her death.
Speaking in support of the campaign, Peter Egan said, “After Life showed so beautifully what animals mean to us at our most vulnerable, not as comforts, but as companions, family, and anchors to hope. Street Paws understands that truth in the real world. No one facing homelessness should be forced to abandon the animal they love in order to find safety. The No One Left Outside campaign is rooted in compassion, common sense and humanity, and I am proud to support it.”
Ricky Gervais said, “Antilly is a much-missed friend, and anyone who knew her will understand why it came as no surprise that she and her human Ashley were ambassadors for the remarkable work of Street Paws.
“She showed, on and off screen, that dogs aren’t accessories, they’re family. For people facing homelessness, that bond can be everything. No one should ever be forced to choose between a home and the animal they love, which is why I fully support Street Paws and their No One Left Outside campaign.”
Street Paws founder Michelle Southern OBE said the charity sees the impact of exclusionary policies daily.
“For the people we work with, their dog or cat is often the only constant in a life shaped by trauma, loss and instability,” she said. “When accommodation providers refuse pets, they are not offering help, they are issuing an impossible ultimatum. No one should be expected to surrender a beloved companion to access safety, warmth or support. This change is desperately needed because compassion should never be conditional.”
