Seattle organization that helps pets of people on the streets gets $50K grant
A Seattle organization that serves the pets of people experiencing homelessness received a $50,000 grant from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).
The grant -- from the ASPCA Northern Tier Shelter Initiative -- will go toward the Seattle Veterinary Outreach's mission of providing veterinary care and services to the pets of people living on the street or without stable housing, with a goal of keeping people and their pets "safe, healthy and together."
The organization gives mobile veterinary care to those living unsheltered, with hopes it will help both the individuals and their pets to thrive and move toward stable housing. It advocates that everyone, including those living on the streets, deserve to "experience the love that exists between people and their pets."
“People experiencing homelessness love their pets just as much as those who are lucky enough to be housed do. Although they care for these pets well, frequently feeding them before themselves, the one thing that is typically beyond reach is access to quality veterinary care," said Dr. Hanna Ekstrom, founder of the organization.
"Seattle Veterinary Outreach steps in to fill this void, bringing our mobile clinic to high need areas and providing both preventative and sick pet care. This helps keep pets healthy and leaves owners with the hope and resiliency they need to move towards a better life for themselves and their pets."
Tricia Sebes, senior director of the Northern Tier Shelter Initiative, said helping to care for vulnerable animals "requires a commitment from the entire community."
"When we work together to ensure at-risk animals receive the protection and care they deserve, we’re both saving lives and helping pets and people thrive together,” Sebes said in a news release. “The ASPCA is proud to support SVO’s mission to keep homeless people and their companion animals safe, healthy, and together.”
Research conducted on the relationships between homeless people and their pets has shown animals provide meaning and purpose for people. Leslie Irvine, a professor at the University of Colorado who has done extensive research on the subject, said pets have largely been a positive source of identity for people living on the street -- giving people a companion to take care of, love and live for.
People may often be critical of those living on the street who have pets. But Irvine's book, called "My Dog Always Eats First: Homeless People and Their Animals," sums up well what her research has found. She saw people would make sure their dogs were comfortable and taken care of before they even thought about themselves.
A few other organizations in the Seattle area, including the Seattle Dogs Homeless Program, help provide resources and services to the pets of people experiencing homelessness, but vet care is a more difficult -- and often costly -- service for people to access.