Dogs of the Homeless in the UK

In the United Kingdom, there is a common misconception that homeless people only have dogs in order to solicit more money while begging. After living as a homeless person for over five years in the UK, this writer knows otherwise. Although there are a few unscrupulous homeless people that do not take proper care of their dogs, they are few and far between. The vast majority take care of their dogs much better than they do themselves.

What Dogs Give to Homeless People

Dogs serve many functions in the lives of homeless people. They serve as protection when homeless people are asleep and can be easily robbed. They can help find food when both people and dogs are hungry. I'll never forget when my British mongrel puppy, Pony, discovered a small pile of pizzas still in their boxes on a rainy Monday night. We ate well for days.

Dogs also can save lives through their body heat and their instincts. One such dog was Chunky, thought to be half German shepherd and half Rottweiler. His owner, known only as Tex, was also an alcoholic. Alcohol can make a person feel toasty warm on cold nights. Unfortunately, this is false warmth and the body can still suffer from exposure to the cold. Tex had fallen into a partial coma inside of his makeshift shelter in the woods. Chunky lay on him in the night and grabbed a passerby in the morning. Tex was discovered and sent to hospital. He had pneumonia.

But dogs also give homeless people a reason to carry on. They are uncomplaining companions and share the harsh life on the streets. Many homeless people told me that they would not even bother standing up ever again if it weren't for their dogs. The homeless person still has to get up and sell "The Big Issue" or do odd jobs in order to find food for the dog. Tex, for example, always bought dog food before he ever bought his daily beer.

Veterinary Care

But how do homeless people in the UK manage to get veterinary care for their dogs? Many homeless shelters and veterinarians work with charities such as The Dogs' Trust in order to care for homeless people's dogs. While I was in the UK, Dogs' Trust help pay for my puppy's spaying and her basic vaccinations. One Bath veterinarian, Roger D. Harrison B. Vet.Med., M.R.C.V.S. would adjust his bills to whatever I could afford at the time.

Surprisingly, many homeless dogs in the UK are in better shape and are better trained than dogs stuck in homes all day and only briefly see their owners on evenings and weekends. Puppies raised by the homeless encounter many various stimuli and get used to it. They also do not suffer from separation anxiety merely because they are always with their people. Because homeless people are constantly on the move, so are their dogs. The dogs then become fit from the exercise.

Veterinarians interviewed for the Channel 4 hit series "Pet Rescue" would comment at how well looked after the dogs of homeless people were. Writing for PetSafe.com, David Chamberlain BVetMed., MRCVS points out that dogs of the homeless were far better trained than dogs of regular people.

Danny Two Dogs

Homeless people in the UK have to make allies in order to survive. It's based on the "I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine" philosophy. One of these "scratches" entitled looking after other people's dogs. If a homeless person was seen abusing a dog, two or three other homeless people would get together and take the dog away from the abuser.

And if a homeless person died, the dogs were taken care of. One such homeless person was known as Danny Two Dogs, because he always went around with two black dogs - Bob and Bob's son Boots. Unfortunately, Danny died of a drug overdose on Christmas Eve. The dogs howled all Christmas morning. People followed the howls to find Danny in his tent.

The news went out among the Bath homeless community and immediately plans were made as to who would take care of Bob and Boots. It was agreed that the dogs could not be separated. Police offered to take the canine pair to a no-kill shelter, but Bob and Boots would be separated. So Bob and Boots both went to another drug addict who cleaned himself up and even began shaving daily in order to beg money and food for the dogs. The homeless of the UK does look after their dogs.

Sources

Dogs Trust Hope Project. http://www.dogstrust.org.uk/_resources/resources/hopeleafletgeneral08.pdf

"Pet Rescue." Channel 4. Various episodes from 2000 and 2001 about dogs of the homeless. Sadly, this series was cancelled in 2002.

PetSafe.net. "Dog of Homeless People Vs Trained Pet Dogs."
David Chamberlain BVetMed., MRCVS http://www.petsafe.net/Intl/UK/You-and-Your-Pet/Recommendations/Dogs-of-Homeless-People-vs-Trained-Pet-Dogs.aspx

Personal discussions with several UK veterinarians, including Roger D. Harrison B. Vet.Med., M.R.C.V.S.

Personal experience as a homeless person in the UK