Ricky Gervais backs Street Paws' No One Left Outside campaign to help homeless people stay with their pets
Ricky Gervais has backed a powerful new campaign which is calling for an end to policies that leave homeless people and their pets excluded from support.
The No One Left Outside campaign was unveiled during a speech to the All-Party Parliamentary Dog Advisory Welfare Group (APDAWG). on Tuesday, highlighting the growing crisis faced by people experiencing homelessness who are routinely turned away from accommodation and services because they refuse to abandon their pets.
Campaigners say the result is devastating, forcing vulnerable people to remain on the streets rather than give up the animals that provide companionship, safety and emotional stability.
Street Paws, which supports homeless people and their pets across the north of England, is calling for an urgent change to government housing policy, the charity is asking that social landlords should not unreasonably refuse pets where a risk assessment shows it is safe to do so.
This principle already exists in the private rented sector and requires no new legislation and no new funding, campaigners say, only clarity, consistency and compassion in policy-making. Street Paws believes such a change would immediately remove one of the biggest barriers keeping people with pets trapped on the streets.
The campaign has been backed by celebrity animal advocates Ricky Gervais and Peter Egan, both of whom appeared in the hit TV series After Life. The show’s beloved dog character Brandy was played by Antilly, who was also an ambassador for Street Paws before her death.
Speaking in support of the campaign, Peter Egan said: “After Life showed so beautifully what animals mean to us at our most vulnerable, not as comforts, but as companions, family, and anchors to hope.
"Street Paws understands that truth in the real world. No one facing homelessness should be forced to abandon the animal they love in order to find safety. The No One Left Outside campaign is rooted in compassion, common sense and humanity, and I am proud to support it.”
Ricky Gervais also voiced his backing, paying tribute to Antilly and the bond between homeless people and their pets. He said:
“Antilly is a much-missed friend, and anyone who knew her will understand why it came as no surprise that she and her human Ashley were ambassadors for the remarkable work of Street Paws.
"She showed, on and off screen, that dogs aren’t accessories, they’re family. For people facing homelessness, that bond can be everything. No one should ever be forced to choose between a home and the animal they love, which is why I fully support Street Paws and their No One Left Outside campaign.”
At the heart of the campaign is the lived reality Street Paws witnesses every day. Founder Michelle Southern OBE said that exclusionary policies are actively keeping people on the streets.
“For the people we work with, their dog or cat is often the only constant in a life shaped by trauma, loss and instability,” she said. “When accommodation providers refuse pets, they are not offering help, they are issuing an impossible ultimatum. No one should be expected to surrender a beloved companion to access safety, warmth or support. This change is desperately needed because compassion should never be conditional.”
Street Paws says the No One Left Outside campaign will work with MPs, local authorities, housing providers and support services to promote pet-inclusive policies, share best practice such as in places like Manchester where there has been a great pick up for the cause, and ensure that homelessness strategies recognise the welfare of both people and their animals.
Find out more at https://streetpaws.org.uk