This Instagram Documents The Lives Of Homeless People And Their Dogs (24 New Pics)

I don't know anybody actually homeless but a former acqaintance I used to see and talk to was semi-homeless and begging for money on the streets. He had several pets over the course of a few years, one a ferret and later a dog, and his pets were all taken care of immaculately. His dog got food before he did, and that's something you see in the pics here as well: the owners may a little underweight but the dogs aren't. I have yet to see a pic of a homeless person with an underweight pet. You raised a valid point with vet care, I hadn't thought of that. All in all difficult to see these pics but I'm happy they have the love of their dogs.

There are vets volunteering to vaccinate and do general healthcare for dogs for the price that it actually costs instead of what is usually charged. Most of the female dogs on the streets have been sterilized. (It's different for the males because chopping their b*lls off can change their behavior.)

Hidrėlėy (Post author)

Hidrėlėy

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We understand your concern, but many of these dogs are actually deeply loved and cared for. They may not have the best food or a warm bed, but they have something even more powerful — real love and loyalty. For many people living on the streets, their dog is their best friend, their family, their reason to keep going. And that kind of bond is something not every dog with a house gets to feel.

But probably better taken care of than just being street dogs.

I don't know what it's like where you live - maybe it's bleaker and the citizens with disposable income are callous - but where I live, those who have the means will donate food and vet-care payment (and some vets will perform care/services pro bono.) Most of the pets of the unhoused in my city are well-fed and well cared-for. The climate is very mild here, so they are never exposed to extreme weather, and they spend their lives with a human who loves them deeply. I'd say overall that's better than living in a shelter kennel.

The rule on the streets is that dogs always come first. If money is scarce, dogs will be fed before their owner. They get all the vet care they need, and if someone's dog needs surgery or something, all people in the community will offer money for it. Also, a lot of those dogs are rescues that would have been put down in shelters because they're not "adoptable", most people who are looking to adopt a dog want a cute (preferably purebred) and easygoing dog, they don't want a mutt with traumas.

I feel sorry for the people.