The San Diego Union Tribune - Pets in homeless shelters? Allowing them can preserve a ‘life-saving bond.’
People from around the country came to San Diego this week to learn how to create their own pet-friendly facilities.
SAN DIEGO — Babygirl, a young dachshund and chihuahua mix with long, golden hair, became homeless during the pandemic. So did her owner, and he searched far and wide for a shelter that would take the two of them.
Yet many programs in San Diego County only accepted humans.
“That was my deal breaker,” said Benjamin Noss, Babygirl’s 51-year-old owner. Sleeping in parks already filled Noss with despair. Why would he give up his one source of unconditional love?
FOX5/KUSI - Father Joe’s Villages highlights pet-inclusive shelter program in San Diego
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A San Diego homeless shelter is highlighting a program that allows people experiencing homelessness to stay with their pets, removing a barrier that often prevents people from seeking help.
Father Joe’s Villages is partnering with My Dog Is My Home to show how shelters can accommodate animals so people don’t have to choose between housing and their companions.
For Ben Noss, that option meant everything.
Noss and his dog, Baby Girl, are rarely apart. Even when she’s off leash, he says she never strays far.
We The Unhoused - “Guardian Angels Have Paws: Keeping the Unhouse and Pets Together”
Everyone deserves animal companionship, but the unhoused community is too often forced to make difficult decisions to care for their pets while living in shelters or on the street. This week, Theo speaks with Jillian and Christine with nonprofit My Dog Is My Home about their important work advocating for the unhoused and their pets, from accessible veterinary care to advocacy work to allow pets in shelter systems. Also: Theo remembers community members Shirley Raines of Beauty 2 the Streetz.