Pets are Family: Many Harbor Care Housing Programs are Pet-Friendly

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“Pets, and especially dogs, are the primary and often exclusive source of physical, psychological and social support for homeless people.”

Have you ever wondered about the pets of the homeless? Harbor Care has given this some thought, which is why many of our properties allow pets. Our Boulder Point Veterans Housing in Plymouth, NH is pet-friendly. In our Permanent Supportive Housing, each landlord has final say, but many allow pets. And our Veterans Transitional Housing programs allow service animals and therapy dogs with proper documentation. Our housing properties in Salem, Claremont, and Antrim, NH also allow pets.

Up to 25% of people experiencing homelessness have pets, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In the paper Pet Ownership among Homeless Youth: Associations with Mental Health, Service Utilization and Housing Status, the NIH details advantages and disadvantages of pet ownership among this population.

Some argue that if someone cannot provide a home for themselves, they shouldn’t take on responsibility for another creature. However, in an age of economic downturn and rampant unemployment, with millions facing housing instability, many pet owners find themselves among the newly homeless.

For the person who has lost their home, keeping their family pet offers both pros and cons. The pros include decreased rates of depression and loneliness, in part because having a pet increases the likelihood that passers-by will talk with the homeless person.

When someone’s history involves trauma and insecure attachments, as is often the case for homeless youth, attachment to a pet may even be the first secure attachment in their life.” Zazie Todd, Ph.D., Pets of the Homeless: Attachment Figures and Social Support.” Psychology today, 23 Mar. 2017.

Pet ownership decreases the social isolation of those living on the street.

Many studies have highlighted the importance of pet ownership, especially for people who are isolated and socially excluded. Pets, and especially dogs, are the primary and often exclusive source of physical, psychological and social support for homeless people.

The Conversation, 24 Jul. 2020.

The cons begin with the costs of food and medical services for pets.

A homeless person…can walk into any hospital in the city and get free medical care. You walk into a hospital with an animal, and the first thing they ask you is, “Where’s your credit card? “

“Helping the Pets of the Homeless,” New York Times, 2 Feb. 2017.

The organization Pets of the Homeless, based in Tucson, AZ, is trying to help turn this around. Their website features a national (US and Canada) database of organizations that offer food, supplies, veterinary services, shelter, and other resources for pets of homeless people. Donation sites where people can drop off pet food are listed as well; volunteers deliver donations to shelters, food banks, soup kitchens and the street. You can find NH sites here.

Another problem is the reduced use of emergency shelter, transportation, medical services, housing, and job-finding services — because many agencies do not allow animals. People refuse to participate if required to leave or relinquish their pets. Fortunately, there is a recent trend to make shelters more pet-friendly.

We like to think Harbor Care has been ahead-of-the-curve in terms of pet-friendly housing. Well-behaved and vaccinated pets have been welcome in much of our Housing Services program for years. For the comfort, mental wellness, and social advantages pets bring, Harbor Care hopes that soon everyone moving into shelter, transitional, or permanent housing will be able to bring their four-legged friends.

Here are some more links to information on this important topic:

ending homelessness, Housing Services, Veterans ServicesGuest UserHarbor Carepets, homeless, youth homelessness, veterans