Free Vet Clinic Helps the Homeless Help Their Pets

When people say they'd feed their companion animals before they'd feed themselves, or they'd rather live in their car than live someplace where they'd have to give up their pet, for many people, it's not just talk. It's not uncommon for homeless people to feed their pets first and, with almost every shelter refusing to allow animals inside, they'd rather sleep on the streets than have to part ways with their best friend. At the Ottawa Mission in Canada, a group of veterinarians and volunteers are making it a little easier for the homeless to care for their pets.

Over the past seven years, Dr. Michelle Lem has seen 1,100 animals at the free clinic she set up, with the help of other volunteers and donated supplies, to provide vet care for pets of the homeless and marginally housed. She says that, although many of the animals may need grooming or have minor infections, the vast majority are in overall good shape.

While some people have a hard time seeing pets on the street, homeless people's pets aren't homeless. Their owners show incredible dedication to caring for their animals. Lem recalls an elderly woman in a motorized wheelchair who came to the clinic one winter day with a huge blanket draped over her. Beneath the blanket were six cats tucked into three cat carriers that a friend had strapped around her legs. She had to hide them in order to take the bus to the clinic.

"I think within socially marginalized populations, not just the homeless, the human-animal bond is often much more significant or stronger," says Lem. "For individuals who don't have social support the pets provide emotional support, companionship, so they can have a definitely more significant impact on the lives of their owner."

The human-animal bond may also help with human connections. "People will access veterinary care maybe before their own health," says Lem. Seeking care for their pets can help people improve their own health and welfare. People are also often willing to share things with their vets that they may not share with other healthcare providers, so vet clinics for the homeless can be a gateway to getting people access to other services they may need.

The nonprofit organization Pets of the Homeless provides food and vet care to the homeless in communities across the U.S. and Canada, and there are a handful of shelters that allow animals in the door. But it's not enough. It's estimated that up to 10 percent of the homeless population, and as high as 24 percent in some areas, have pets. Pets provide companionship, a sense of stability, protection, and physical warmth to the homeless. The psychological and health benefits to the human of having a pet cannot be underestimated, making programs that help the animals of the homeless one of the easiest and most effective ways to help the people, too.

Photo credit: relapsed nun