Level: B2-C1

Whether you love cats or dogs, birds or fish, having a faithful animal companion is something universal and common around the globe. Pets are great company, give us protection, and even lower our blood pressure and improve our mood. Pets make life better. It can be challenging to own a pet in London, though, as there are so many confusing rules and restrictions about animals. This is especially true if you’re not from the UK. With that in mind, here are a few tidbits of information about owning pets in London to help clear up the confusion.

It’s Going to Become Easier for Renters to Have a Pet

London is a very expensive city. The result of this is that most people, and young families, rent accommodation instead of owning it. As of last year, only 7% of landlords advertised their homes or flats as suitable for pets. The government has recently updated it’s model tenancy agreement, to make it easier for people to rent a flat with a well-behaved pet. The model tenancy agreement is the standard contract between a renter and a landlord. This means it should start to become easier to live with your favourite animal, as long as your dog doesn’t bark until the early hours of the morning and your cat doesn’t use the walls to scratch its claws. 

Which Pets Can I Own in London?

In London, and the UK generally, it’s illegal to own a wild animal. So if you want a pet giraffe or lion, you’ll have to think again. As for domestic pets, there’s a small list of dogs which are banned in the UK. These are Pit Bull Terriers, the Japanese tosa, the Dogo Argentino, and the Fila Brasileiro. These dog breeds are not allowed in the UK because they are believed to be dangerous. If you have one of these dogs, they can be taken from you. Besides these exceptions, you can have almost any other type of pet you want.

Bringing Your Pet to the UK

If you can’t stand to be separated from your pet when you move to the UK from abroad, there are several things you must do. First, you have to have your pet microchipped, this is when a vet implants a small, electronic device into your dog or cat to track them. Then you have to get a pet passport or health certificate, and, finally, your pet must have a rabies vaccine. After that, you’ll be free to live in the UK with your pet.

It’s not easy having a pet in a big, noisy city like London, but, at the same time, once you’ve figured out how to work a dog or cat into your life, you’ll find plenty of benefits – sprawling parks, high quality vets, and much more. It might seem like a challenge at first, but you’ll love it in the end.