NORFOLK HOUSING ASSOCIATION WINS PRESTIGIOUS ‘GOLD FOOTPRINT’ AWARD FROM RSPCA

A Norfolk housing association has become one of only 11 housing providers in the UK to be awarded a prestigious Community Animal Welfare Gold Footprint award from the RSPCA – recognising its contribution to improving animal welfare in communities.

Victory Housing Trust, based in North Walsham, is the only housing provider in the whole of East Anglia to receive the accolade, which rewards housing providers which encourage and ensure responsible pet ownership in the properties they manage.

Victory allows residents to keep pets in their homes provided the animals are well looked after, and that they do not cause a nuisance for other residents.

“We recognise that pet ownership can bring lots of benefits for people,” said Victory’s head of housing Christine Candlish.  “However, pet ownership also involves responsibility for the animal itself and for other residents, and we work hard to bring all of these factors into balance.

“We are delighted that our efforts have been recognised with an RSPCA Gold Housing Footprint.  We believe that when well-cared for and responsibly kept, pets can be an asset to any community.”

Rachel Williams of the RSPCA said, “The Footprints are the only awards that recognise the hard work of local authorities, social housing providers and public sector bodies on animal welfare, so it is great to be able to reward the hard work that these organisations do to improve animal welfare.”

Victory Housing Trust will receive its Gold Housing Footprint award at a ceremony in London at the end of November.

Victory’s policy about keeping animals in its properties can be found at : www.victoryhousing.co.uk/animals-in-your-home.  More information about the RSPCA’s Community Animal Welfare Footprints scheme can be found at www.rspca.org.uk/cawf.