Gold award for our pet friendly policy | News

We're very proud to have received a gold award from the RSPCA (England & Wales) for our pet friendly policy and we know how much this means to our residents.

Frances Thurston, resident at Nevill Court in Crowborough said: “This is great news. I had just lost my husband when I needed to move home so it was really important for me to find a housing association that was dog friendly so I could bring Lizzie, my west highland terrier, with me. I couldn’t bear to lose another member of my family.

Having Lizzie gives me a purpose to life, I go out walking with her everyday which helps me to keep physically and mentally fit. It means I have something in common with other residents and we have a good chat. Sussex Housing & Care’s pet policy is clear and I know my responsibilities as a pet owner.”

Tracy Evans, Chief Executive of Sussex Housing & Care said: “This is our fifth consecutive year of winning a gold Housing Footprints award. This accolade shows that the RSPCA recognise our approach to promoting responsible pet ownership and how we acknowledge the positive difference animals can make to our residents. We have 109 pets living amongst our 800 residents. We will continue to promote our approach to new and current residents so we can support as many as possible to live later life to the full.”  

The RSPCA is marking the tenth anniversary of these awards.

Rachel Williams, senior parliamentary advisor for the RSPCA, said: “It’s always so rewarding to celebrate the winners and their inspiring initiatives and hear just what a huge impact their work has had on animal welfare locally.”