These days, an average vet appointment can cost between $50 and $250, with emergency services charging much, much more.
Pet care can put a strain on anyone’s finances, but it can be a particularly heavy burden for those below the poverty line — especially for those experiencing homelessness.
“With the rising costs of vet bills, there is a small population of people who can’t access the much-needed services, and obviously the animals are still unwell and need preventative care,” veterinary surgeon Nicola Chouler told the BBC.
Fortunately, twice a month, British animal charity Bath Cats and Dogs Home runs a pet care clinic for unhoused pet owners.
“What we are doing here is making sure the animals are as well as possible and providing their owners with the peace of mind that their pets are happy and safe,” Couler said.
The free clinic is part of Bath Cats and Dogs Home’s Together Project, which is centered on keeping pets with their owners even after they’ve become homeless.
“The Together Project is delivered by voluntary vets and vet nurses from Bath Vets,” the charity wrote on its website. “As well as running the clinics, they take their backpack and hit the streets, proactively seeking out rough sleepers who haven’t been able to visit the clinic.”
“They are entirely non-judgmental, simply offering support to the homeless pet owners of Bath.”
According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, an estimated 3.5 million people in America are unhoused, and 5%-10% of those individuals have dogs, cats, or both.
The subject of unhoused people owning pets is a contentious one. At the heart of the issue, some wonder whether the pets in question are receiving adequate care.
It’s an assumption that Chouler was happy to challenge.
“These animals are so well cared for, and they’re with their owners constantly,” Chouler said. “[They’re] arguably better cared for than some housed animals.”
In recent years, there has been a growing effort to keep people with their pets when they seek temporary housing.
Today, only 15% of domestic violence shelters in the United States allow pets — a metric that The Purple Leash Project, a nonprofit partnered with Purina, is trying to change by creating more pet-friendly shelters.
And they’re not alone. Pallet is a social justice organization that builds tiny home villages for people who have experienced chronic homelessness (homelessness for 12 months or more).
Unlike congregate shelters that routinely turn animals away, Pallet villages allow residents to bring pets into their new housing accommodations.
“Most homeless people I’ve met in my time — if they have an animal, they need it because it gives them clarity, some focus, and it gives them something to live for,” one village resident, John, told Pallet, adding that his dog Walter is his best friend.
“They keep me grounded,” added Lynette, another Pallet village resident. “They're my life, really. They're my kids.”
It’s a sentiment the Together Project knows well, too, and it is their reason for existing: to keep these families safe, happy, and healthy … together.
Header image via Bath Cats and Dogs Home
