Helping animals and pet owners in London

Launching our manifesto for animals, I want to make sure landlords recognise the needs of responsible pet owners.

I launched our manifesto with a wonderfully cute and inspiring visit to Battersea Dogs & Cats Home today, with Green London Assembly candidate for Wandsworth & Merton, Esther Obiri-Darko.

My plan for pet-owners who rent is to work with the proposed London Renters Union and the rest of the housing sector to make positive pets policies the norm rather than simplistic blanket bans on pets, which leads to many animals being sent to shelters like Battersea for rehoming.

I will also lobby the government to remove the breed-specific legislation in the Dangerous Dogs Act which is leading to the destruction of many well-behaved animals just on the basis of their appearance.

Landlords should be required to recognise the needs of pet owners in rented accommodation and allow them to keep their pets. I have a cat at home who causes no trouble or damage, and know the crucial role pets play in millions of our lives. This is why I will do my utmost to make sure that Londoners are not excluded from this enriching experience simply because of the type of tenure of their housing.

My pledges form part of the Green Party’s animal manifesto for London, which also includes a pledge to ban purchase of cleaning and other products tested on animals by all Greater London Authority agencies. This will apply to City Hall, Transport for London, the Metropolitan Police and the London Fire Brigade.

We can make sure that City Hall and the bodies it controls uphold the highest ethical standards on animal welfare and also help London become a model city when it comes to respecting our fellow inhabitants of the planet.

Read more and download the manifesto on the London Green Party website