Service personnel and their families have previously faced a bureaucratic process to get permission to own a pet if they live in military housing. The changes are part of Defence Secretary John Healey’s pledge to “stop the rot” and improve standards in service accommodation. He said: “Our armed forces make extraordinary sacrifices to keep us safe every day. “But for too long, military families have lived in substandard housing without basic consumer rights. The Government has also brought 36,000 military homes back into public ownership in an effort to reduce costs and improve standards.