Pets of the homeless and disadvantaged

do not choose their owners.

A well dressed woman walks up to a homeless man and gives him a bag of fast food on her way to work.  The man has been sitting on the sidewalk in the same spot for weeks, he looks up and says “God bless you.”  The woman nods and walks away but not before she turns to see him open the bag and remove a burger, take a bite and give the rest to his dog.   This scene is probably something that goes on more often than we would like to think.

It is estimated by the National Coalition for the Homeless that 3.5 million people are homeless.  Between 5% to 10% of homeless people have dogs and/or cats. In some areas of the country the rate is as high as 24%.  Most people who experience homelessness are homeless for a short period of time, and usually need help finding housing or a rent subsidy.   But unfortunately for those with pets it becomes more difficult.  Many are forced to choose between their pet or a roof over their head.  Surprisingly, most choose to stay on the streets with their pets for longer periods of time.  Their pets are nonjudgmental, providing comfort, an emotional bond of loyalty.  In some cases they provide the homeless with protection and keep them warm.  The tragic part is that the pets of the homeless do not choose their owners.

                                                                                                                                                                        Photo by Keith Peters

·        “I've known that we have wonderful clients for a long time and this project shows that with an exclamation point. The day after the announcement, the bin was filled and overflowing. Everything has been passed along to FISH and the bin is already being refilled. The emotional support offered by a pet may be something that helps a person get back who they really are and I am pleased that we may be able to help.” -  Dr. Gary L. Ailes – Sierra Veterinary Hospital

To donate pet food in your community check to see if a local collection site is listed.  If not, take an extra can or bag of pet food to your local veterinarian or another business and ask him/her to enroll so you and others in your community can help feed the pets of homeless and disadvantaged.  Or become a Sponsor.  You can make a difference to someone who has a loving loyal companion pet.

Recruiting collection sites and distributing organizations as well as awarding grants is just a small part of what we do.  We answer hundreds of requests for information on how to start a pet food pantry, how to volunteer, how to help a homeless person on the street, how to donate if there isn't a collection site in the area, where to take pet food, and where to get pet food or veterinary care.  We also work with school children who want to help.  We have a program called "Read for Scruffy" where students ask friends and family to donate cash for each book they read in a set time, say a semester.  They collect the money and their teacher sends us the donation and we send back a class certificate of appreciation and tax receipt.

To view our Annual Report click here.

    Photo by Franco Folini

Mission Statement: