The Bond Between the Homeless and Their Dogs

....For those who find themselves, and, often, their families, on the streets, a humanizing blessing arrives with the incorporation of a pet, usually a dog, into their lives.  Pets remind those who have been dispossessed of their (the owner’s) intrinsic value. The responsibility of pet care provides a schedule of some sort for those whose days are formless. Life acquires new meaning, as the unique bond between pet and human reinforces the idea of “I am needed, I am worthwhile.”...Studies have proven that even those who are most destitute provide, more than adequately, for their dogs.  It is common for the so-called “street people” to, when offered, refuse to eat themselves, or insist on  sharing food with their dogs. It is not acceptable to allow their, often, best friend to suffer in any way that can be prevented. The majority of shelters do not allow dogs.  The result is that countless people live outside in the cold, during storms, and other adverse conditions because of their devotion to their pets....Pets help those who, materially, have nothing, to feel useful, consequential, in other words…human.  The homeless do not lack the ability to love.  Like all dog owners, this population receives unquestioning, enduring, prejudice-free loyalty and affection from their pets....There is a tendency to project human thought and intention onto animals.  Animals are often humanlike, but have brains that organize in a dissimilar way.  With the human tendency toward narcissism, it can be hard to recognize the significant differences in the brains of same- and other-species of beings.  “Of course that dog would be better off in a traditional home!” Not necessarily.

The dog that is loved consistently, attended to with sensitivity, and is loved as itself, not as an extension of the owner, is the happiest dog....Some researchers have observed that in the homeless population the dog and owner, in effect, become a pack of two.  There is a mutual easing of anxiety, as pet and human spend all of their time together.  This provides security for both.  Theirs, in fact, is a reciprocal dependency.  They each offer the other a form of safety.  The dog is likely to bark when aggressive behavior is aimed at their owner.  The dog is ready to protect.  It is important to remember that the vast majority of these canines are not lap dogs.  They have learned how to negotiate the streets just like their owners.  These pet owners are ready to do everything within their capability to protect their precious charges. It has been noted that dogs who live with individuals who are homeless, are, usually, very well-behaved.  The constant presence of the person provides the dog with security and a sense of well-being that a dog left alone at home all day does not experience. It is unlikely to encounter a so-called homeless dog that will destroy it’s owner’s property.  These dogs do not run away. As a rule they are approachable and exhibit less anxiety than the typical sequestered dog.

At times the dog can serve as an agent of socialization for it’s homeless owner.  Some individuals, who would never initiate, or respond to discourse with the human owner, are not afraid of the pet, and are, thus, responsive to the pet. For some who resist what they believe contributes to the homeless situation, it is acceptable and gratifying to provide food and other articles that the dogs require.

It has been estimated that there are 600,000 homeless individuals in the United States.  This is, actually, a guesstimate.... The people and their pets, more often than not, thrive in each other’s company. Courtesy of Ruth Gordan, MA, MSW, LCSW via petsofthehomeless.org