Homeless Humans and Dogs
Here’s the beginning of an interesting post from The Homeless Guy blog. I would definitely encourage you to finish this article on his site. The rest of the posting is very touching.
Dogs Add A Human Element To The Homeless
Besides one person I met many years ago, who had a large parrot, dogs are the only pets I have known to be owned by homeless people. Faithful, functional, mostly dependable, dogs are perhaps the easiest to care of on the streets. Having dog does limit one’s choice of shelter – the indoors are out. Therefore, being loyal to one’s dog is paramount. And I know several homeless people who do just that.
Still, there are some challenges to taking care of a dog when you have no home. Keeping the dog fed is perhaps the difficult responsibility. Whenever the homeless person eats, he must remember to save a portion for his dog. And sometimes they have to panhandle or beg for dog food. Still, there are some people more inclined to feed a hungry dog, than a human.Keeping up with a dog can sometimes be difficult too. There is the likelihood of losing the dog to animal control if he is left tied up somewhere for an extended period – like if its owner go off for a day to work. And, there are some well intentioned homed people who may think that keeping a dog on the streets is cruel, and will try to have the dog removed from its homeless owner, (what these people think is humane about leaving humans to live on the streets, is never addressed). But all the dogs I have seen, as pets belonging to homeless people, have all been taken care of. They are groomed, well fed, well loved. There is something in these dogs that helps the homeless keep hope, and keep their humanity, despite their situation.
Follow this link to read the rest of the post.
That is so touching. I wish there were more people out there that would help the homeless. Instead of being so self-centered all the time.I was homeless for a short time. It was not a very good feeling.
There’s a homeless guy and his dog in our dog–Randy’s the guy and Foxy’s the dog. Randy is always asking my advice about how to take better care of Foxy, a pretty, lean, super-friendly black and white pitbull. Randy’s clearly made some choices in order to stick with Foxy, and there is a whole network of people in town (Hoboken NJ) who pitch in, from the vet to the dog walker to the social worker who’s tried to help them find housing.
oops….I meant “In our town.”
What an uplifting story!
It sounds like another good example of how dogs can help bring people together.
Thanks for barking in!
We have a Stone soup supper for the homeless each and every Monday night and there are at least 3 regular dogs that came and get fed outside and one cat!
One of the dogs is recuperating from a broken leg…the sheriff ran into her… and she has been well cared for by one of our local vets, by a pet store who donated a new leash and harness and ,more especially by her human companions. She is almost completly back to normal now.
I am deeply saddened to report on the very day I wrote about Randy and Foxy…Foxy has left us. Foxy was hit by a car–twice–while Randy was some distance away from her. She died at the vet’s. Randy left the vet, deeply distraught. I’m not sure where he is.
I just learned from another Dogster friend that the vet’s groomer is taking up a collection to have her cremated. She was a lovely, sweet-tempered dog, who gave the lie, yet again, to the idea that pitbulls are mean. Everyone who knows her is pretty devastated.
Martha
My deep sympathies to Foxy’s family and friends. She sounds like a dear girl who very much deserves a warm welcome to the Rainbow Bridge.
Thanks, Joy:
Here is a tribute to her from someone who knew her.
http://baddogs.libertyhumane.org/2007/03/20/goodbye-foxie-a-real-deserving-bully-crosses-the-rainbow-bridge/
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