My Dog Always Eats First: Homeless People and Their Animals (a great read)
Most of us have seen homeless people on the streets, many accompanied by their nonhuman animal (animal) companions (pets), especially dogs. On any given night there are about 640,000 homeless people in the United States (see also), however estimates vary quite a lot. It's also been estimated that 5-10% of homeless people have dogs or cats as their companions but the numbers vary geographically and it's difficult to come up with highly accurate statistics. Nonetheless, there is a large number of animals who live with homeless humans and in many cases the animals are the lifeline and reason for living for these people without a home, human beings living in a stigmatized and marginalized environment in which few if any would choose to live.
Many homeless people say their dog is their best friend and oxygen
Homeless people have told me on more than one occasion that their animal companion is their best friend and oxygen without whom life wouldn't be worth living. For many their animal friend is their only family. Last year while I was eating lunch in my hometown of Boulder (Colorado) I started talking with a homeless man named Joe and he told me that when he lost his job and became homeless he sold many of his very few possessions so that he could keep his dog, Clive, without whom Joe wouldn't be able to or want to live. I've heard similar stories in cities around the world.
Homeless people are often viewed with suspicion or fear. When people see homeless and their animals they do a number of things. Some give them money or food and some look away. Others judge them unworthy of animal companionship. Whatever the reaction, most of us would have no idea how to survive on the street with (or without) an animal.
A new book by University of Colorado sociology Professor Leslie Irvine is the first to explore what it takes to live on the streets with an animal. Using interviews with more than seventy homeless people in four cities, My Dog Always Eats First reveals what animals mean for homeless people and how they care for their four-legged friends. You can read the introduction to this landmark book here. Dr. Irvine's book provides rich descriptions of how animals provide social and emotional support and protection from harm (see also "My dog feels my pain"
, and, in some cases, even helped turn around the lives of people who had few other reasons to live.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/animal-emotions/201301/my-dog-always-eats-first-homeless-people-and-their-animals
http://www.buzzfeed.com/bryanbrunsell/the-dogs-of-homeless-people-45ct
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