Should we take pets away from the homeless?
After trying to scarf down an enormous ceasar salad and individual pepperoni pizza, I succumbed to the mercy of a to-go box. My friends and I left Old Chicago’s, laughing about our many inside jokes. As we turned the corner, we passed a man, not even begging. He looked hungry and sad. Next to him sat a yellow lab. In my hands I held a to-go box which I was not even sure I intended to keep. I gave the man the box containing half a ceasar salad and half a pepperoni pizza. “Thank you so much,” he said. “You’re welcome,” I smiled and walked away. As I turned the next corner, I smiled and looked back. The man had split the food in half. While he ate from the bottom half of the Styrofoam container, his dog ate from the top half. My heart melted. While the deed I had done was nothing particularly difficult or special, I felt so warm. Not only had one simple act of kindness made one man’s night even just a little more bearable, I watched my small amount of generosity be immediately returned from this man to his dog. The man seemed so content. Something in my heart told me that it was not about the fact that he had dinner that night, but that his dog did.
Within Old Town Square, Fort Collins, there is a fair amount of homeless citizens, many of which own dogs. Walking through Old Town, you can see these individuals grouping together and often playing music, or entertaining the public in some other way. I once saw a homeless man collecting money by sitting his cat on top of his dog and his mouse on top of his cat. The animals and the man just sat there, but it brought the public great amusement and joy. Why is it that many homeless people have dogs? The most obvious answer that comes to my mind is that a dog is a companion who gives unconditional love to its owner even in the worst of times. It seems fair and logical to me that homeless people would have dogs, however much of the population feels it is unethical to own a pet when you can barely, if at all, afford to feed yourself.,
According to Petsofthehomeless.org, there are 3.5 million homeless Americans. About ten percent of which own pets. In some areas, this number can reach 24-percent. It appears to be a common opinion that people who cannot afford to take care of themselves should not put the lives of innocent animals in their hands. However, while these people have a difficult time supporting themselves, it seems that they are willing to struggle a little more in financial terms for the sake of having a non-judgmental companion by their side. Petsofthehomeless.org tells us that not only do dogs provide the homeless unconditional love and companionship, but also a sense of safety which is just about essential when living a street-life in any modern-day American city.
The SF Globe brings forward a very interesting point. According to the article, “The Relationship Between the Homeless and Their Dogs is Profoundly Beautiful” written in the SF Globe on May 30, 2015, there is an estimated, 70 million homeless cats alone. Homeless humans actually provide these homeless animals a better life than they would have otherwise had. Animals who belong to the homeless live a life which, while at times may be full of cold and hunger, contains a loving companionship. The only other option for the animals would be cold and hunger without any companionship. While many homeless pets wind up in shelters, many end up being euthanized. In my opinion, a pet lives a more fulfilling life when it can be the companion of a homeless human than living lonely in a shelter to be eventually euthanized, or even worse, living cold hungry and alone on the streets until it dies from the effects of the outside environment.
According to the article, “This Nonprofit is Working to Prove that Homeless People Deserve Happy, Healthy Pets,” written by Scott Bixby on October 25, 2015, in Policy.Mic, the most common argument against the homeless having pets, is that if the person is suffering to survive, the animal should not have to suffer as well. The reality however, is that there are millions of homeless pets on the USA, too many for more well-off Americans to afford. Beyond that, try to imagine how difficult it would be to live life as a homeless person. While many may try to argue that it is the person’s own fault that they are homeless, we are forgetting about mental illness, addiction, and domestically abusive situations. Why should lonely animals and lonely people not join forces? According to Bixby, homelessness in the USA has reached a record high, which in turn has led people on the streets to give the homeless even less attention and help than ever.
On top of the ethical reasoning that homeless people gain high benefits from the companionship of pets, there are organizations trying to make it easier for homeless people to feed their pets.
Homeless Americans often seem to put their pets even before themselves. According to Genevieve Frederick, President and Founder of Pets of the Homeless, “When you talk to anyone who has a pet, they say they would rather live in their car than give their pet up to a shelter.” This opinion remains true among the homeless as well. It is true however, that it can be home for homeless Americans to keep their pets fed, and that’s why there are organizations like, Pets of the Homeless. Pets of the Homeless provides food as well as medical aid to pets of homeless Americans.
According to the LA Times, the homeless more often keep pets for companionship than for protection. So think about it this way, while it may appear that pets of the homeless are struggling and hungry as well, isn’t it better that the two be struggling together than alone? The reality is that there are millions of homeless pets as it is, and without their homeless owners, these animals may not have survived. From the human perspective, imagine living a life in the streets completely alone. An animal has the ability to love a human unconditionally, no matter what the reason is that they ended up homeless. While it may be a struggle for both the human and the animal, a loving relationship between the two seems to be a better option than suffering alone.
