The Reality of Being a Houseless Pet Owner

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It is not uncommon to spot a four-legged, furry friend tagging along an individual who has found themselves houseless. According to Kerman, Gran-Ruaz, and Lem (2019), pet ownership is—in fact—a reality for an estimated 5 to 25% of people who have no permanent housing. These individuals have chosen to stick with their family members, their most loyal companions, but do bystanders react positively to such duos? Unfortunately, the answer is no.

Is the Companionship Worth it?

Houseless individuals who have pets are often ridiculed for exposing their beloved animals to a “distressing lifestyle”, but the reality is that the bond between the owner and the pet is more symbiotic than anything, and thus, beneficial to both despite the lack of reliable housing. Essentially, the pet is spared from an unstable, overcrowded shelter environment where there is no promise of proper love and attention, and the owner is provided with a multitude of benefits, such as emotional support, social interaction, increased protection, daily structure, and a heightened sense of purpose due to keeping another living being alive and well—which can also serve as an extra incentive to avoid intoxicating substances and other incriminating activities (Pallet, 2020). It is crucial to remember that pets are family, not some disposable items, and that surrendering them to an unknown future in a shelter may not be any better for them than living on the road with their trusted owner.

Listen to Judie’s story of what is has been like to have three dogs in the midst of houselessness struggles:

It Isn't Always Easy

Caring for an animal as a person who does not have secure housing, however, does come with its own obstacles that extend beyond financial instability and the difficulty of obtaining adequate nutrition. For example, many shelters are not pet-friendly (yet!), and even if they were, there is no guarantee that there would be a designated space for pets to be left unsupervised. Leaving a family pet outside to fend for itself is also not a viable option for those who love their companions above all else. Consequently, this makes accessing shelter, medical, and other services increasingly complicated and committing to a job very troublesome for houseless pet owners. 

Helpful Resources

Luckily, there are various organizations located in Portland, Oregon, that have made it their mission to serve houseless and low-income individuals and their animal companions at little to no cost. These organizations include the Portland Animal Welfare Team (PAW Team), the Pongo Fund Pet Food Bank, and the Outside In Health Clinic. Check out the links below for more info!

• FREE veterinary care
• FREE dog and cat food — email info@thepongofund.org with your situation and needs to get started
• FREE to low-cost medical care on a sliding scale for people — crate area for pets provided at the site

If you are not personally in need of the above services, you can still help by (1) raising awareness of these organizations via social media @​​paw_teampdx, @ThePongoFund, and @outsideinpdx, (2) applying to volunteer with any of these three organizations, or (3) donating money and/or supplies based on the organizations’ requests. 

No one deserves to be torn away from their beloved animal friend. So, let us do our part to ensure that the existing services continue to flourish and are available to those who need them the most.

References

Kerman, N., Gran-Ruaz, S., & Lem, M. (2019). Pet ownership and homelessness: a scoping review. Journal of Social Distress and Homeless, 28(2), 106–114. https://doi.org/10.1080/10530789.2019.1650325

Pallet. (2020, September 22). Pets and Homelessness. https://palletshelter.com/blog/pets-and-homelessness/