Should homeless people have pets?

Squarehard · Jan 18, 2018

Typhon said:
Alright. I was wrong. I didn't know what the fuck I was talking about. This topic was ill advised, a complete mistake really.

A lot of people did make valid points that I agree with.

I mean, I feel it could've been more clear if you just said what you've mentioned above, and that you're not sure.

The way the op was presented, it felt as if you were advocating for one way or the other, so we weren't sure what we were supposed to respond to.

Like you've said, there were some good discussion that has come out of it though.

Daysean · Jan 18, 2018

MiddeSummer said:
No one is literally dying on anything; it's phrase? But Old Gimlet Eyes is super adamant on homeless people not having pets- and their opinion is their opinion and that's fine- but they're doubling down using arguments that just don't pass in reality and is not addressing the counterpoints of others. Discussion, indeed.

Yes, in a perfect world there would be enough rescues and shelters and proper forever homes that no stray animal anywhere would ever have to suffer alone for long. But we don't live in a perfect world. There are sick, malnourished, unloved strays everywhere. They're spreading disease and they're suffering everywhere. But the ones belonging to homeless people are the ones Ol' Gimlet has decided need to be rescued the most. Literally need to be snatched from loving arms because their conditions aren't ideal while actually ownerless, uncared-for strays are the afterthought.

He's admitted he only has the animal's best interest in mind and has only thrown a half comment about the misfortune of the homeless persons that would be affected by being denied the most basic of companionship.

I see, well disregard my post, whenever I see that phrase "hill to die on" it always came along with X person is about to get banned for some kind of problematic view (which was the case 100% of the time) and I was just like ????, this person's opinion is unpopular but that surely can't be a possible reason for them to get banned?
Like who is dying on what?
My b then

Creation_Scapes · Jan 18, 2018

Squarehard said:
To be fair, I said back up, not justify. ;D

Fair enough, my bad.

pixelation · Jan 18, 2018

I have seen several homeless people with pets, and they take really good care of their pets... sometimes they're all they have and i have seen them sharing what little food they have with their pets and it just warms my heart.

YES.

EnronERA · Jan 18, 2018

Whenever i see something like this, It feels like people care more about the well-being of the pets instead of the homeless people. Absolutely let them keep their pets; it may be the only friend they've got

THE210 · Jan 18, 2018

I've had at least four homeless young people turn down a place to live in the last year because they couldn't bring their pet. I think its safe to say they care about their pet.

TJG662 · Jan 18, 2018

Yes because they tend to take care of them. Also it helps many unstable people keep a level of control. Homeless wemon use them protection they saves them from lots of abuse. It's not what we want for any animal but in many cases they would be put down. If the animal in question seems happy I see no harm.

Chance Hale · Jan 18, 2018

Anyone who has ever volunteered or worked at an Animal shelter will know there are a limitless number of incredible, beautiful dogs that somehow end up not getting adopted or worse in non no kill shelters, if a homeless person didn't have their dog it's not like an affluent person would. They'd probably be be captured or/and put to sleep.

And from my experience living in cities homeless people treat their dogs well, are well fed by both the owner and donations and no less loyal or caring than a middle class dog.

Tohsaka · Jan 19, 2018

If they can responsibly take care of them and themselves I think it's fine.

BuryAllen · Jan 19, 2018

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24728815

As many as 25 % of homeless persons have pets. To our knowledge, pet ownership has not been studied quantitatively with homeless youth. This study examined pet ownership among 398 homeless youth utilizing two Los Angeles drop-in centers. Twenty-three percent of homeless youth had a pet. The majority of pet owners reported that their pets kept them company and made them feel loved; nearly half reported that their pets made it more difficult to stay in a shelter. Pet owners reported fewer symptoms of depression and loneliness than their non-pet owning peers. Pet ownership was associated with decreased utilization of housing and job-finding services, and decreased likelihood of currently staying in a shelter. These findings elucidate many of the positive benefits of pet ownership for homeless youth, but importantly highlight that pet ownership may negatively impact housing options. Housing and other services must be sensitive to the needs of homeless youth with pets.

Gaius Cassius · Jan 19, 2018

Fuck no. Though I'm sure there are many homeless persons that adopt a pet out of companionship, there are others who do it because they know they can get more sympathy and more money from people passing by who see a half starved animal sitting with the homeless person.

The animals should be taken from them if they cannot be cared for. I once saw a guy in the small Texas town I grew up in, marching back and fourth a major city intersection with a naked infant in his hands, begging for money (rural Texas is what it is). In other words, this is no different.

Deleted member 15326 · Jan 19, 2018

Gaius Cassius said:
Fuck no. Though I'm sure there are many homeless persons that adopt a pet out of companionship, there are others who do it because they know they can get more sympathy and more money from people passing by who see a half starved animal sitting with the homeless person.

The animals should be taken from them if they cannot be cared for. I once saw a guy in the small Texas town I grew up in, marching back and fourth a major city intersection with a naked infant in his hands, begging for money (rural Texas is what it is). In other words, this is no different.

lmao

you're saying homeless people shouldn't be allowed to have pets because you saw a guy walking with a naked infant, when you don't actually know shit about the particulars of either situation

that confidence

Gaius Cassius · Jan 19, 2018

Labor said:
lmao

you're saying homeless people shouldn't be allowed to have pets because you saw a guy walking with a naked infant, when you don't actually know shit about the particulars of either situation

that confidence

I said in cases where a person is taking advantage of the animal..

Again, like I mentioned it depends on the circumstances. Was the homeless guy taking advantage or simply was harming the child by doing what he was doing? Sure. Obviously not every person does that though. Fuck it, no explaining it to you I guess.

Deleted member 15326 · Jan 19, 2018

Gaius Cassius said:
I said in cases where a person is taking advantage of the animal..

Your "fuck no" was in response to the question posed by the OP right

your assumption and anecdote about the guy with the baby was meant to support that position right

Seductivpancakes · Jan 19, 2018

Gaius Cassius said:
I said in cases where a person is taking advantage of the animal..

That's really no different from people who are not homeless and have dogs for other purposes other than being just pets. Let's take dogs away from everyone.

Quad Lasers · Jan 19, 2018

I guess in a worst case scenario, where the owner isn't actively abusing the pet, I guess the question has to be: is it better for an animal to be without a consistent food source, without reliable shelter and without appropriate medical attention(immunization/pest prevention) or is it better for it to be put down.

Animals don't talk, so it's hard to judge how much some love can offset the other misery.

Reeks · Jan 19, 2018

I see a woman around my neighborhood who is on the streets. She has a pit and definitely takes good care of him. When I asked her what she wanted from Ralphs, she asked me to get dog food. Dog looks healthy and happy. And he keeps her safe. I can't imagine how scary it is to be alone on the streets as a woman. Similar situation with my uncle who was on the streets for a few years (has an apartment now). His dog was/is his everything. Anyways, I don't see a difference between homless people vs. everyone else. If you take care of your dog, of course you should be able to have it. Sheesh.

SK4TE · Jan 19, 2018

GrimGrinningGuy said:
Anyone who can't properly take care of a pet shouldn't have one

What if the dogs on death row otherwise?

CanUKlehead · Jan 19, 2018

I think it's immoral as a society that we get to a point where people become homeless.

Pet-wise, well, maybe it helps them both.

Human Bean · Jan 19, 2018

The fact that they are poor or homeless doesn't indicate whether they take good care of their pets or not and just because someone has money, a house and a garden doesn't mean they take good care of their pets.

If anything, homeless people need / have to take good care of their pets. A dog is not only a companion to them but also a security. A dog will protect its owner and I'm sure (I mean I speculate) that if homeless people were banned from owning pets there would be a rise in violence against them.

On the food/health aspects, I believe there are organizations that provide these services specifically for the homeless' pets, like this one: https://www.petsofthehomeless.org/

Angie · Jan 19, 2018

Fliesen · Jan 19, 2018

I do believe our local animal shelter provides free treatment to homeless people's dogs.

I don't see why a homeless person shouldn't have a pet. I don't think they're going out of their way to buy one. Usually they'll take care of a stray, or they had the dog before becoming homeless.
It's not like they go to a breeder and buy one. Neither will our local shelter give an animal to someone without a place of residence.

skeezx · Jan 19, 2018

for what it's worth i've known quite a few "normal" pet owners who likely had no business owning pets.

one of the homeless guys in my neighborhood has had the same dog about a decade now, i feel like it's not my place to tell him he's 'doing it wrong'. personally i don't see how you could prioritize a pet when you're in any kind of financial straits, but it's none of my biz

Amibguous Cad · Jan 19, 2018

Does it even matter if they can take care of them? The dog's no worse being a stray having to scavenge with no one else to take care of them and chilling with a specific person that isn't capable of taking care of them.

On a simple utilitarian level, whatever resources the homeless person has to spend on taking care of a dog is more than worth the security of having him or her watch your back while you sleep in unsafe areas or if someone harasses you.

bad poster · Jan 19, 2018

Tideas said:
as for the question in the OP, I see it like, "should poor people be allowed to have kids?" most likely no, but how are you gonna legislate it? make it illegal?

so why shouldn't poor people be allowed to have kids?

LanceX2 · Jan 19, 2018

Man we got heartless people in here

Deleted member 18966 · Jan 19, 2018

because it isn't bad enough being homeless in a society that looks at you hatefully, gotta take away their source of love, not to mention they aren't "pets" they are homeless animals, they just keep each other company in their misery

CaviarMeths · Jan 19, 2018

Absolutely yes. Forming a friendship and symbiotic relationship with an animal can have very positive effects for both human and animal. Not to mention that many homeless people suffer from disabilities or disorders and having a companion for support is often vital to their survival.

You're talking about the most vulnerable people in our society and asking if they should be permitted to not be alone in their struggles.

entremet · Jan 19, 2018

Yes. Are people advocating removing a dog from their homeless owner?

Creation_Scapes · Jan 19, 2018

entremet said:
Are people advocating removing a dog from their homeless owner?

People have been saying that throughout the thread. They seem to care more about the animal than the humans that are homeless.

entremet · Jan 19, 2018

Creation_Scapes said:
People have been saying that throughout the thread. They seem to care more about the animal than the humans that are homeless.

Damn. That's coldblooded.

hombremalo · Jan 19, 2018

Let's take away the last thing they love and care about

Raptomex · Jan 19, 2018

GrimGrinningGuy said:
Anyone who can't properly take care of a pet shouldn't have one

This pretty much mirrors my thoughts. If the person can take proper care of the animal, I don't see a problem.

Erik Twice · Jan 19, 2018

There shouldn't be any homeless person in the first place

Angie22 said:

Great video.

Zeldaflavoredzebra · Jan 19, 2018

They can but they deserve the heat.

Deleted member 2840 · Jan 19, 2018

Zeldaflavoredzebra said:
They can but they deserve the heat.

What?

Deleted member 401 · Jan 19, 2018

mutantmagnet · Jan 19, 2018

Gaius Cassius said:
I said in cases where a person is taking advantage of the animal..

Again, like I mentioned it depends on the circumstances. Was the homeless guy taking advantage or simply was harming the child by doing what he was doing? Sure. Obviously not every person does that though. Fuck it, no explaining it to you I guess.

The obvious solution is thought police.

MazeHaze · Jan 19, 2018

I've known plenty of oogles/traveler kids/vagrants in my life. You know the type, crust punky, bandanas around the kneck, usually some type of tribal looking face tats, knuckle tats, etc. They train hop around the country and busk for beer money, usually heavy into the punk scene.

These kids always have dogs, and take better care of their dogs than most people. It makes a lot of sense for the lifestyle, a dog offers protection and can also alert you to anyone who is approaching when you're asleep.

I think people just tend to think "bum" or "hobo", old crackheads and stuff when hear the word homeless, but lots of people are just into the lifestyle, and it works for them.

Digital Dinosaur · Jan 19, 2018

Animal companionship helps human beings. It makes them healthier.

The solution to a homeless person with a companion animal isn't to take the animal away to give it a better home.

The solution is to give the person and the animal a damned home rather than take the animal away and harm the person even more than they already have been.

Punjabi_Hitman · Jan 19, 2018

The better question to ask is should there even be homeless people?

LanceX2 · Jan 19, 2018

Punjabi_Hitman said:
The better question to ask is should there even be homeless people?

Apparently yes but not homeless pets. Thats too sad

m23 · Jan 19, 2018

Old Gimlet Eyes said:
Everywhere? I wish. I know shelters are full, but there are more than just shelters and more organizations starting everyday. I wish there was a ton more resources to help with both homeless people and there pets. If the pets were in a no kill with proper healthcare vs on the streets with none, of course I would prefer they stay in the shelter. Just cause the dog is being fed, doesn't mean it is suffering from FAD or even heartworm infection, among many, many other preventable diseases.

Nothing, I dedicated my life to animals a long time ago. I do wish there were more help and resources for everyone, homeless especially.

How do you know what condition they are in? How do you know they aren't infested with fleas or infected with heartworm? Maybe they have parvo and wherever that dog urinates, that parvo virus can spread to and infect other animals. Because without proper, preventative healthcare, those will happen and more. I care about the health of the animal, bottom line. If proper healthcare is being provided, you shouldn't be able to have a pet.

I really don't understand what your proposed solution is. Do you think we should take the pets from the homeless people and throw them into shelters where they will likely never get adopted? Do these shelters have available space?

Do you think these animals have a better chance at survival by going it alone without a human?

I completely understand these animals may have a much higher chance at getting sick by living on the streets with humans, but again - what is the alternative?

You talk a big game, since you run a successful clinic I hope you provide free assistance to some of these homeless animals. Perhaps you can go out and check on these animals that are living with the homeless, see what you can do to help. Maybe you already do, I don't know.

I admire what you do as someone who helps animals, but you're coming off as a very ignorant person. These animals do a lot for these people who have nothing left in life but a companion.

Calm Waterfall · Jan 19, 2018

Raptomex said:
This pretty much mirrors my thoughts. If the person can take proper care of the animal, I don't see a problem.

Wtf with this mentality? So homeless guy who lost everything and found a pet who became a close friend and became the only good thing in his/her life, does not deserve to have a pet?

Some of you are extremely naive and lack perspectives, and in a worst case scenario some of you are heartless.

Scubamonk · Jan 19, 2018

Everyone who wants one should have pets. Having pets is an incredibly enriching experience. Especially being homeless, it might be one of the only comforts they have in life. Sure, it'd be ideal if they could afford veterinary care and whatnot. However, we put down so many dogs and cats in this country, its not as if people are lining up to give all of these animals good homes.

Raptomex · Jan 19, 2018

Calm Waterfall said:
Wtf with this mentality? So homeless guy who lost everything and found a pet who became a close friend and became the only good thing in his/her life, does not deserve to have a pet?

Some of you are extremely naive and lack perspectives, and in a worst case scenario some of you are heartless.

Maybe I should have re-worded it. I'm saying I wouldn't want to see an animal neglected. I'm not trying to dismiss the homeless issue. I just feel if anyone is going to own a pet, they should take proper care of it, or at least to the best of their abilities. If a homeless person loves the animal and doesn't treat it poorly, I don't see a problem. That may be all they can do. I understand that.

Barrel Cannon · Jan 19, 2018

SMH, maybe you've seen some awful people but I've never once seen a homeless person who owns a pet treat them badly. We need homeless people off the streets too but that's an even bigger complicated issue. A lot of homeless people who own pets have them as morale support and the pets love them back. It's definitely not something I'd want to take away. The moment you see a homeless person sharing the meal you just bought them with their dog(despite it not being the healthiest choice of meal) is one of the most heartbreaking moments someone can endure.

D65 · Jan 19, 2018

Gaius Cassius said:
Fuck no. Though I'm sure there are many homeless persons that adopt a pet out of companionship, there are others who do it because they know they can get more sympathy and more money from people passing by who see a half starved animal sitting with the homeless person.

The animals should be taken from them if they cannot be cared for. I once saw a guy in the small Texas town I grew up in, marching back and fourth a major city intersection with a naked infant in his hands, begging for money (rural Texas is what it is). In other words, this is no different.

You should check yourself, I'm very grossed out by this comment.

Ivellios · Jan 19, 2018

DigitalOp said:
Probably the worst thread Ive seen on ERA yet

I agree with you, some people must live in a another reality where every dog or cat live in a house with food medication and all that

So lets not allow homeless people have pets, since they clearly cant provide or care of them, and if not for them these stray animals will surely find a loving place

bwahhhhh · Jan 19, 2018

i think that a dog is probably better off sometimes going hungry but being with a homeless person 100% of the time and having that companionship 24 hours a day than the dogs who are left alone at home alone 9+ hours of the day during work and are so well fed that they're overweight

Should homeless people have pets?

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