Groups Come Together to Provide Vet Care, Grooming, and Food to Pets of the Homeless

There are still many stigmas surrounding homeless people, but the truth is that they will care for their companion animals no matter what it takes, often going without a meal themselves to care for their furry friends. Homeless people will often tell you that their dog is their child, but unfortunately, homeless people with animals still lack resources. That’s why when we learned about the amazing work My Dog is My Home, a national non-profit with a mission to increase shelter and housing access for people experiencing homelessness with animals, our faith in humanity was restored.

My Dog is My Home recently hosted a first of its kind service fair in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for the homeless and their animals, partnering with several local organizations including, Misfit Manor, West Chester University, Emancipet, Old Fest, Avery’s and Bad Dog Good Dog. The fair was considered a “soft launch” and the organization hopes to be a twice a year event. The service fair served seven dogs and four humans so far!

The service fair kindly offered veterinary care, pet supplies, grooming, training, as well as spay and neuter vouchers. 

My Dog is My Home’s goal is to help build the capacity of local organizations to create a safety net for the Philidelphia’s community’s homeless human-animal families. 

My Dog is My Home also works to understand the gaps in service the homeless face. The non-profit interviewed attendees about available and lacking resources. Information collected will be used to create a report to help raise awareness about community needs. 

Christine Kim, Founder and Executive Director of My Dog is My Home shared via email that the general public showed huge Support for the event. The community was so generous that all leftover donations will be stored at a recently started pet food pantry for the homeless community until the second service fair is held. Amazing! 

Feeling motivated to help animals in your area? You too can make a difference in the lives of homeless animals just like Laurel simply by volunteering at your local animal shelter.

Organizations rely heavily on volunteers to assist with animal care and day-to-day operations. There’s never a shortage of things to do and opportunities are available for people of every skill set. You can help take dogs for walks, give them food and water, and make sure their area is clean. If your preference is helping out behind the scenes, you can volunteer your services by assisting with fundraisers, outreach events or general office tasks.

And please, always adopt and never shop!

For more information on My Dog is My Home, visit their website. You can also stay-up-date on the important work they are doing by following their Facebook page.

Image Source: My Dog is My Home