An increasing number of Calgary pet owners unable to find animal-friendly rental accommodation are surrendering or abandoning their furry friends.

Last year, 416 animals were surrendered to the Calgary Humane Society because their owners couldn’t find pet-friendly housing, a 31 per cent increase from 2012 when 317 animals were taken to the society for the same reason.

Those numbers don’t include animals abandoned in rental properties by their owners, which is also on the rise.

Calgary currently has a one per cent rental vacancy rate.

“The market in Calgary is so, so tight, and people just can’t find housing for themselves, let alone for pets,” said Jeanetta Smallman, department head of animal admissions at the humane society.

Daniel Douglas, 31, has spent more than two hours a day for the past 10 days searching for a home for him and his best friend — a 75-pound black Labrador retriever named Mason.

“I didn’t know how bad it was going to be,” said Douglas.

A recent break up means Douglas needs to be out of his current home, which he said is too big for just one person, by the end of February. He is willing to spend up to $1,600 a month on rent for him and his nearly five-year-old dog.

He’s spent hours browsing rental websites and said his searches are instantly limited when he specifies he has a pet. When he calls the places he’s found that do allow animals, he’s been told by landlords there is a size or weight restriction and his dog is just too big.

Monica Doucet knows what Douglas is going through. The 50-year-old grandma said she’s spent a couple of hours a day looking for a pet-friendly rental suite since moving to Alberta from Ontario in October.

Doucet and her two miniature pinschers — small dogs that weigh six and seven pounds — are staying with family in Three Hills while she continues to hunt for a home. “Landlords need to understand that once you bring an animal into your home, they become part of your family. A responsible owner will not let their animal do damage to the property,” she said.

Earlier this week, a Kijiji post from a Calgary landlord urging others landlords to allow animals into their rental properties was viewed thousands of times.

“I think it is a shame there are so many other landlords that do not allow animals. There are far too many animals being surrendered because landlords will not allow them. Try charging a non-refundable pet deposit. Most pet owners would be willing to pay instead of giving up their beloved pets,” the post stated.

The Calgary Humane Society is considering creating a list of pet-friendly landlords or accommodations on their website.

The no-pet rental rule is the most common reason owners surrender their animals at the humane society, followed by allergies and not being able to afford care.

Smallman said cats and dogs are brought in daily to the society by devastated pet owners who say they simply can’t find pet-friendly accommodations.

“Some of these people have pets that they’ve had for 12, 13 years, since they were puppies and kittens,” Smallman said.