Comedian and animal advocate Ricky Gervais has thrown his support behind a powerful new campaign demanding urgent changes to housing policy that currently leaves homeless people and their pets excluded from vital support.
The No One Left Outside campaign, launched at the All-Party Parliamentary Dog Advisory Welfare Group (APDAWG) this week, highlights the devastating reality faced by many people experiencing homelessness: being routinely turned away from accommodation and services because they refuse to give up the animals who offer them companionship, protection, and emotional stability.
Street Paws, a charity supporting homeless people and their pets across the north of England, is calling for a simple but transformative policy change. It wants social housing providers to follow the same principle already adopted in the private rental sector: not to unreasonably refuse pets when a risk assessment shows it is safe to do so.
Campaigners say this requires no new law and no additional funding – just clarity, consistency, and compassion. Crucially, it could lift one of the most significant barriers keeping vulnerable people trapped on the streets.
The campaign has been endorsed by long-time animal welfare champions Ricky Gervais and actor Peter Egan, both of whom starred in the hit series After Life. The show’s beloved on-screen dog Brandy was played by Antilly, a real-life Street Paws ambassador before her death.
Peter Egan said:
“After Life showed so beautifully what animals mean to us at our most vulnerable – not as comforts, but as companions, family, and anchors to hope. Street Paws understands that truth in the real world. No one facing homelessness should be forced to abandon the animal they love in order to find safety. The No One Left Outside campaign is rooted in compassion, common sense and humanity, and I am proud to support it.”
Ricky Gervais also voiced his support, paying tribute to Antilly and the unbreakable bond between homeless people and their pets:
“Antilly is a much-missed friend, and anyone who knew her will understand why it came as no surprise that she and her human Ashley were ambassadors for the remarkable work of Street Paws. She showed, on and off screen, that dogs aren’t accessories – they’re family. For people facing homelessness, that bond can be everything. No one should ever be forced to choose between a home and the animal they love, which is why I fully support Street Paws and their No One Left Outside campaign.”
At the heart of the campaign is the lived reality Street Paws sees daily. Its founder, Michelle Southern OBE, said exclusionary policies are actively preventing people from getting off the streets.
“For the people we work with, their dog or cat is often the only constant in a life shaped by trauma, loss and instability,” she said. “When accommodation providers refuse pets, they are not offering help – they are issuing an impossible ultimatum. No one should be expected to surrender a beloved companion to access safety, warmth or support. This change is desperately needed because compassion should never be conditional.”
The No One Left Outside campaign will now work with MPs, local authorities, housing providers and frontline support services to promote pet-inclusive policies, share best practice from areas like Manchester, and ensure that homelessness strategies recognise the welfare of both people and their animals.
Sign the petition: petition.parliament.uk/petitions/753095
Find out more: www.streetpaws.org.uk