When unexpected disasters strike, policyholders can become displaced and forced out of their homes with nowhere to go.
Amidst the chaos and uncertainty, displaced pet owners face an additional obstacle: finding temporary housing that can accommodate the unique needs of their pets.
As an adjuster, you’ve likely seen how stressful it can be for displaced policyholders to find appropriate temporary housing–especially housing that is suitable for their furry friends.
At Accomsure, we can help you relieve stress from your displaced policyholders during their time of need by helping them find accommodations that meet all of their unique requirements, including finding accommodations that are pet-friendly.
In this blog post, we’ll highlight some statistics about Canadian policyholders with pets and everything Accomsure looks for when finding appropriate accommodations for pet owners.
Canadian Pets by the Numbers
Did you know that 61% of Canadians own a pet? Due to this high number, it is highly probable that your displaced policyholders will have a pet that they need to move into their temporary housing.
The following are additional statistics about Canadian households with pets:
- 38% of households own a cat (GfK)
- 35% of households own a dog (GfK)
- In 2020, 8.5 million fish were owned as pets (Statistia)
- 1.4 million Canadians keep exotic animals as pets. The amount of exotic pets and types of pet includes (World Animal Protection):
- 478,648 birds, such as cockatoos and African grey parrots
- 186,104 wild cats, such as caracals and servals
- 164,678 snakes, such as Burmese pythons and boa constrictors
- 129,682 turtles and tortoises, and more
Considerations When Finding Pet-Friendly Accomodations
When Accomsure helps displaced policyholders find pet-friendly accommodations, we consider the following housing criteria.
Condo Bylaws
Due to condo bylaws, depending on the type of animal your policyholder has, they may or may not be able to live in certain condos or apartments. For example, the British Columbia strata pet bylaw states:
Standard Bylaw 3(4) provides that an owner, tenant or occupant must not keep any pets on a strata lot other than one or more of the following:
- A reasonable number of fish or other small aquarium animals
- A reasonable number of small caged mammals
- Up to two caged birds
- One dog or one cat
When considering housing, we always ensure the policyholder’s pets will be permitted within the pet bylaws in their province.
Backyard/Green Space
Although household pets like cats or rabbits spend most of their time indoors, we ensure pets like dogs have a designated outdoor area to go to the bathroom and burn off energy.
Space
Pets like cats and dogs require a decent amount of space for their daily activities. We’ll try to find accommodations that give both your policyholder and their pet enough space to eat, sleep, and play, so they’re comfortable during this very difficult time.
Fenced Area
If your displaced policyholder has dogs, we ensure the temporary home has a fence around the property. Having a fence helps policyholders feel more comfortable and secure in their temporary home as they know their pets are safe.
Flooring
It’s common for animals, especially dogs, to mark their territory in new areas. Due to this marking, we try to look for a home with vinyl or laminate flooring rather than carpet so it’s easier to clean should an accident occur.
Location
Did you know that 76.6% of Canadians buy pet food in-store? We make sure your policyholder’s temporary house is located near pet stores or veterinary clinics for owner convenience.
Finding Accommodations That Are Pet-Friendly
When disaster strikes and your policyholder and their pets are displaced from their homes, contact Accomsure and let us help them find temporary housing.
At Accomsure, we have worked with numerous insurance companies and adjusters to help displaced policyholders and their furry friends find temporary housing that meets the needs of their entire family–while helping reduce adjuster stress and workloads.
With an extensive list of industry contacts, we’re able to find a variety of houses that follow most, if not all, of the considerations listed above while staying within policyholder claim limits.
Submit a claim with Accomsure today, and let us help your displaced policyholder find pet-friendly accommodations while you focus on managing their claim.
