Belvoir Bedford was the first agency to support Lets with Pets when Dogs Trust launched the initiative in 2009. They have been active supporters of the scheme ever since.

Zoe Bywater, Franchise Owner, explains why her agency is pet-friendly:

"At present Belvoir Bedford is the only 'Pet Friendly' Agency in Bedford, which means that tenants come to us purely for that reason. Using the Lets with Pets guidelines and procedures we offer piece of mind for landlords who may not have accepted pets in any other circumstance.

Pets are part of the family and we would not want to contribute to the ever growing number of rescue cases who may be there because they cannot move with their owners. Having these guidelines allows us to pin point responsible pet owners, who care as much as we do about their landlords property and their animals' welfare."

Belvoir Bedford tenant Hannah explains how they helped her and her family, including labrador Marley, to find a home:

"My partner and I had been living together in his family home for over a year when we welcomed a new addition ‘Marley’ our pet Labrador into the family.

When we looked to move out together into a home for just us, we had no idea the difficulty we would face trying to rent with a pet dog. With the option of buying a property a distant dream for the foreseeable future we needed to find a suitable home that matched our many requirements but now with the addition of accepting a dog.

Every property we found that matched our needs would not accept dogs. It was beginning to worry me that we may not find somewhere and the heart-breaking thought of having to rehome our much loved family pet was starting to look as though it may be the only option.

When we found Belvoir Lettings in Bedford we spoke to them about the requirements of trying to find somewhere that accepted dogs and it seemed easier than ever. The worry began to shift as for the first time it didn’t seem as though it was a problem at all. What had we been worrying about?

With the help and advice of Lets with Pets in conjunction with the lettings agency we managed to find a property that ticked all our boxes and meant we could keep the family together.

We were given booklets information and advice and completed a ‘C.V’ for Marley with references to be kept on file. Knowing that everything is taken care made everything so much easier for us and the search a breeze. We have now been in the property for nearly 3 years and have had another addition to the family since (our daughter Lacey) but are always so much more confident and relaxed knowing that when we do look to move next, things will all be in hand."

To find out more about Belvoir Bedford, visit www.belvoir.co.uk/letting-agents-bedford