Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will he make an estimate of the number and proportion of temporary shelters that are equipped to accommodate the pets of homeless people.

We do not hold data on the number and proportion of temporary shelters that are equipped to accommodate the pets of homeless people.

We know that a dog can be an incredibly important companion for those rough sleeping rough. Many night shelters or similar emergency accommodation schemes, funded through the Government’s Rough Sleeping Initiative (RSI), have provision for people’s pets – or the flexibility to provide accommodation with this provision. For example, the RSI funded services in Gloucestershire link closely with the charity StreetVet - who provide treatment and ongoing support for homeless people’s pets.