Greens to help renters challenge 'no pets' rules

Sian Berry will make sure landlords recognise the needs of responsible pet owners if she is elected Mayor of London, she announced today. Her plan is to work with the new London Renters Union (which she as Mayor will set up and fund) as well as with the rest of the housing sector, to ensure all housing providers have positive pets policies. She will also lobby the government to remove the breed-specific legislation in the Dangerous Dogs Act which is leading to the destruction of well-behaved animals. "Landlords should be required to recognise the needs of pet owners in rented accommodation and allow them to keep their pets," she said after a visit to Battersea Dogs & Cats Home today. "As a pet owner myself, I recognise the crucial role that domestic animals play in millions of our lives, which 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. "I have also been shocked to learn in Battersea how many animals they have to put down based purely on breed specific appearances - because a dog looks like a pit bull, not because of its behaviour. That's a horrible state of affairs and as Mayor I will lobby for this damaging and ineffective law to be changed." The promises are 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. Sian will further work to make London a world centre for non-animal biomedical research, encourage all establishments conducting animal research in the city to commit to moving towards humane alternatives, and use City Hall's funding for London Fashion Week to help make the event fur-free. Her manifesto also includes a pledge to appoint a deputy mayor to support nature reserves and wildlife corridors. "The Mayor of London and the London Assembly can play an important part in protecting and championing animals," Sian said. "We can ensure 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." ENDS For more information contact Simon Edge on 07740 411462 Notes to editors: 1. Sian Berry is a former principal speaker of the Green Party. She previously stood as the party's candidate for Mayor of London in 2008. She is a councillor in the borough of Camden. 2. The Green Party came third in the last mayoral election in London in 2012 and has had at least two seats on the 25-strong London Assembly since the body's establishment in 2000. 3. As well as campaigning for Sian for Mayor, the party is urging supporters to vote Green on the orange (proportional) ballot paper, which is where its votes will count the most. 4. With current AMs Darren Johnson and (Baroness) Jenny Jones standing down, the lead Green candidates for the Londonwide (proportional) section of the Assembly are Sian Berry, Islington councillor Caroline Russell and the party's deputy leader Shahrar Ali. 5. Sian's complete animal manifesto can be found at http://www.sianberry.london/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Green_Party_London_An imals_Manifesto_2016.pdf