How to Help Homeless People With Pets

On my recent trip to Target, I spied a homeless man in the parking lot with a 6-month-old pit bull.

Because I'm a sucker for all things dog, I stopped to chat with him about his pup, a small white pittie named Angel Girl.

I know how to help homeless people with pets -- buy them a bag of food-- and my efforts are always appreciated, but I wanted to do more.

Trying to Make Ends Meet

I bought a bag of dog food for Angel Girl, but my main concern was whether she had been spayed and vaccinated. After speaking with the man for a few minutes, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that he was aware that his dog needed these basic veterinary services and was trying to make financial arrangements.

I asked him if he'd had the dog wormed, explaining that puppies are born with worms (not too many people know this) and was again delighted to find out that not only did he know this fact but his friend was taking the dog to the veterinarian that weekend to get worming medication, and the vet had also promised to vaccinate Angel Girl at no cost.

He was most concerned about the cost of getting his dog spayed. For most people, altering their dog is an inconvenient expense; for homeless people, it's a month's worth of food.

How to Help Homeless People With Pets

Fortunately, many organizations offer free spaying and neutering to homeless people, a fact of which Charlie -- that was his name -- was unaware.

I told him about the Sam Simon Foundation, a nonprofit in Southern California that, among other things, runs a free mobile veterinary clinic for low-income and homeless people.

The incident got me thinking -- I really would have liked to have more information to give him. The Sam Simon clinic has a first-come, first-served policy, and it can often take several days of arriving first thing in the morning to get a pet spayed/neutered and vaccinated.

I knew there were other resources, like the low-cost neutering at the animal shelter, but I didn't have the contact information with me, and the man didn't have access to the Internet. I decided to compile a list of resources that I could give to dog people in dire financial straits.

Resources to Help

Now my list is complete, stowed in my car in case I need it. I included the following information my "kit" to help homeless people with pets:

• The phone number and address of our local animal shelter
• Contact information for a few veterinarians who donate their services at a low cost
• The location of homeless shelters that accept pets
• A little information about what kind of basic vetting every dog needs

My behavior might sound a little extreme, but I'm the kind of person who keeps a crate in the trunk of my car that's filled with leashes, collars, blankets, treats, water and a pet first aid kit, just in case I run into a stray animal. I am, after all, a Crazy Dog Person.

Pets Provide Attention and Comfort

From the homeless people with whom I've spoken, I've learned that their love for their 4-legged babies is no less than my love for mine.

In fact, pets can be of particular service to the homeless, providing them with affection and comfort, 2 necessary forms of support that you don't see much of on the streets. Most of them tell me that when they get money, their first concern is caring for their companions.

I'd like to encourage readers to help the homeless with pets as much as possible. No matter what their situation or why they're sitting in front of Target, looking for a "handout," their pets deserve the same care as that of your own.