By its very nature, homelessness is impossible to measure with 100% accuracy. Recent studies suggest that the United States generates homelessness at a much higher rate than previously thought. The National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty estimates that 3.5 million people are likely to experience homelessness in any given year. Estimates from the National Coalition for the Homeless suggest that five to ten percent of homeless people have dogs or cats. We conservatively estimate that twenty-five percent have pets. Many pets are companion pets and service animals. Since 2014, over 62% of the homeless asking for our help were women and 7.3% were veterans.
The homeless population includes families, veterans, those who struggle with mental illness, unemployment, physical disabilities and substance abuse. Homeless individuals feel isolated, vulnerable and outcasts of society. Their pet makes them feel loved, wanted and protected.
A pet’s love for its guardian is unconditional, and unaltered by the lack of housing or income.
To the homeless individual, their pet is their world, an extension of themselves. Their pet signifies that one thing is right in their world amid the uncertainty of their daily lives. The bond is one of unconditional love.
Faced with little or no income, coupled with the uncertainty of where they will sleep each night the homeless have no funds when their pet requires emergency treatment for an acute illness or injury. The pet guardians served by Pets of the Homeless are just like any other pet guardian, they love their pet and do not want it to suffer. They do not want their circumstances of homelessness to be a barrier to their pet’s wellness.
For the general population, the life of a homeless individual is unfathomable. For a homeless individual with a pet, life is hard, and choices few, but watching their pet suffer is unbearable. This program supports pet guardianship by providing free medical care for the animal that the guardian could not otherwise provide. It eliminates undue suffering the pet might otherwise have to endure. This is our most costly program with a 2017 budget of $120,000.
We served over 409 pets in 2016 with an average cost of $225. Like all of our programs (treatment, vaccinations, etc.) it is free to the pet guardians that are homeless. We pay the hospital directly for pre-approved treatment. During a procedure if anesthesia is required we ask the doctor if a spay or neuter would be appropriate. If the answer is “yes” permission from the guardian is asked.
Diagnoses include parvovirus, swallowed foreign objects, skin lesions, injured limbs, lacerations, digestion issues, and broken bones. Treatment is costly because it often includes x-rays, lab tests, sutures, surgery, and overnight stays.
This program is unique because: (1) pets are treated in their community, (2) licensed veterinarians are paid directly, (3) services are always provided at a discount and (4) it allows for immediate treatment thereby improving the health of the animal, and (5) it reduces the spread of communicable diseases in the community.
Our Case Managers determine eligibility based on organization criteria. All treatment must be pre-authorized for payment to the hospital/clinic for their services.
If the pet guardian does not qualify, the Case Manager provides contact information for other means of support or services that may assist the pet guardian in providing for their pet.
Our organization maintains a database in which every pet served in our Emergency Veterinary Care program is entered. This comprehensive database was started in 2015 so we could better evaluate our program and use of funding.
Program effectiveness is determined by the following: (1) total number of pets treated, (2) number of pets requiring more than one visit, (3) breeds served, (4) average cost per pet, (5) pet ages served, (6) most common diagnosis, (7) percentage of pets requiring updated vaccinations and (8) type and cost of treatment services provided.
Our network of veterinarians go above and beyond to help pets who are injured and need treatment. They often write-off the difference in what we allocate per pet which is $600. For example, a wire haired terrier by the name of Pocket was hit by the door of the car where she lives with her homeless owner. The injury required the hip to be pinned. The quote from the hospital was $1,700. The veterinarian performed the surgery and discounted $1,200 in order to treat this pet. This is just one of many examples.
