Tomorrow, August 21, is the 19th annual International Homeless Animals’ Day. It’s not widely-observed enough to stop mail service, but it’s still a nice reminder that it’s not just human beings who go without homes in the country.
In many ways I feel that homeless animals, if you count strays and shelter animals and maybe even farm animals shuffled into inhumane factories, get more attention than homeless people. I hope that animal advocates who work to protect and care for animals in need will remember that homeless pets are called “pets” exactly because they’re owned by individuals who own so little else. (Prep your tear ducts before clicking on this link to see 30 photos of homeless dogs.)
Animals often provide an important lifeline for the homeless population. Bringing dogs into homeless shelters, for instance, is a proven method of therapy for both children and adults. In San Francisco earlier this year a homeless man named Daniel Harlen lost his pug-nosed Himalayan cat, Samantha. “She keeps me calm, and she helps me out,” he told the local paper while offering a reward for her safe return. He wept tears of joy when they were reunited days later.
Unfortunately, pets are often what keeps people from accepting offers of assistance. Between five and 10 percent of the homeless have pets, but just a handful of pet-friendly shelters exist in the entire country. Pets are also a barrier in the search for housing, as many landlords slap “no pets” labels on their listings.
