About Street Pets
We need your help to make homeless pets healthy and happy at Christmas.
The cold weather experienced by the UK during the festive season last year was unprecedented, with temperatures falling as low as -20c, making it the coldest Christmas for almost 50 years. Many domestic and farm animals were at risk from cold weather, but OneKind was aware of an equally vulnerable group of animals – the many homeless pets, predominantly dogs, living rough on our streets.
Regardless of the differing views on whether or not homeless people should keep pets, the simple truth is that many of these animals are at risk from what is expected to be another unforgiving winter.
Missy (pictured above), a ten-year old Staffordshire bull terrier, and her owner Maggie are currently homeless and living at one of the very few shelters which will accommodate pets. Maggie has been trying to secure a place to live, but the clock is ticking and she is scheduled to leave the shelter at Christmas. The majority of shelters are unable to accommodate animals and Maggie may now face the agonising decision of returning to the streets with Missy, or having her taken from her and put into kennels.
“Missy is everything to me,” says Maggie. “For a lot of homeless people, their pets are all they’ve got. Missy is just a lovely dog and everyone who knows her loves her. If she is away from me, she howls and gets very upset.”
Keeping homeless animals healthy
Missy is lucky enough to receive some free veterinary care while she is at the shelter, but despite being in very good health in other ways she has developed cataracts and is going blind.
Dr Andrew Gardiner is a vet with the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies. Together with colleague Amy Jennings, he runs regular clinics at two homeless hostels in Edinburgh. “A lot of people imagine that homeless dogs must have a pretty miserable life, but many of these animals often have a much closer relationship with their owners than domestic pets. Indeed, many homeless people say that having a pet is what gives them hope, and money that might have been spent on alcohol or drugs is actually spent on their pet. A lot of the pets we see are actually in pretty good health, with their owners often taking better care of them than of themselves.
“The pet and the person spend so much time interacting with each other that the human/animal bond is incredibly strong. If these pets are taken from their owners it is not uncommon for them to suffer separation anxiety or demonstrate other behavioural problems. In the worst case, a dog that is unable to adjust could end up being put down. That would be a terrible outcome.”
Andrew and Amy provide these services entirely in their own time, and they offer their expertise completely free of charge. Their hope is that they will raise enough money to invest in new veterinary equipment and comforts for the homeless pets in their care.
These vet clinics and the shelters that support them are brilliant examples of community initiative that offer the kind of care these animals should receive.
Andrew Gardiner says: “There is no reason why a homeless pet shouldn’t receive the same level of care and attention as the average domestic pet, and hopefully clinics like ours will inspire similar initiatives to help more animals in this situation.”
Pet-friendly shelters
Pet-friendly housing associations, shelters, day centres and temporary supported accommodations remain the exception rather than the rule. As homeless people naturally move around a great deal it is difficult to gauge exactly how many homeless animals are sleeping rough at any given time.
In Edinburgh, there are an estimated 35 accommodation services for homeless people but only three accommodate pets. (Source: Homeless Edinburgh)
The situation across the UK is not much better, and this is complicated because often information about individual shelters is not shared or updated.
Going by the most recent figures for major population centres, there are approximately 27 homeless centres or shelters in London that accept pets; eight in Cardiff; five in the West Midlands; four in Glasgow; two in Dundee and Manchester and only one in Newcastle, Swansea and Belfast. (Source: Dogs Trust Directory of Dog Friendly Homelessness Services 2008)
Please let us know at OneKind if you have information about pet-friendly shelters in your area.
You can help homeless pets this winter
But you can make a real difference to the life of a homeless pet this Christmas by supporting OneKind’s 2011 Christmas appeal. OneKind is providing care packages for homeless pets this Christmas and is supporting free clinics, which offer treatment to street pets. You can find out more here or by calling our donation line on 0131 225 6039 or make a donation by texting PETS12 £10 to 70070.
Watch Sleeping Ruff, a film about street pets in Edinburgh.
Luckily, Brook receives regular health check-ups at her local shelter