N eedless to say, the tenants prevailed. Pilot projects were developed to demonstrate that such living arrangements could work if proper guidelines and good support systems were put in place. A s a result of persistence and hard work by the Pets in Housing Coalition, of which the Doris Day Animal League is a member, Congress approved legislation that expands pet ownership privileges to residents in almost all types of federally subsidized housing. President Clinton signed this measure into law on September 21, 1998. The Department of Housing and Urban Development is currently revising their regulations pertaining to animals in housing to accommodate this expanded coverage and ensure that animals are cared for humanely and responsibly.
H ere a bonding process occurs between individuals, fully recognized and appreciated as such.
A truly beloved pet is not valued for his fur, his flesh, or other features from which he could be separated, but for the special configuration of qualities he brings to the association. He is valued in himself, and the properly functioning human-companion animal bond does not damage or exploit the animal. It is above all symbiotic, both mutually dependent and mutually beneficial. Companion animals require food, shelter, and veterinary care, but they also need the attention and affection of their owners. In seeking this they elicit far more - a quickened capacity for humor and feeling, renewed enjoyment of simple things, and at times the lessening of loneliness.