Homeless Pets Need Love Too

In June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that cities can penalize people without homes for sleeping or camping in public spaces. Last week, California Governor Gavin Newsom ordered state agencies to begin enforcing the ruling.

Given that we share a community with nearly one-third of this country’s unsheltered people, Californians will see a major shift in how our streets look in the near future. And it won’t just impact the people who live on the boulevards and avenues — it’ll affect the pets who find shelter there, too.

“By uprooting those encampments, we’re going to see a lot more migratory homelessness, with pets involved,” says Marshall Williams, founder and CEO of Project Pet.

It’s estimated that 10% of people living without shelter in the United States are pet owners. Williams, who was once unhoused himself, says pet-person relationships provide benefits for both parties, even for those without homes.

“If someone is unhoused and taking care of their pet, that means they’re making sure the pet has exercise, food and water,” says Williams, who’s currently the owner of three dogs. “That means that the person is providing a level of care.” And by looking at a person’s pet, Williams says, you can get a glimpse into the state of a person’s mental health.

“If you see the pet is disheveled, the pet’s fur is matted or may not be in the best medical condition,” says Williams, “that pet owner may need some degree of assistance as well.”

Williams, who is also the head of the Bay Area One Health Coalition, uses pet ownership to reach people — housed and unhoused — who might need assistance with mental health concerns, financial insecurities and more. Project Pet hosts micro-clinics, where people can bring their pets for veterinary services like flea shots and nail clipping.

Pet owners can also receive services, such as a mental health through dog training course, which is offered in collaboration with the Bay Area Association of Black Psychologists.

Ultimately, Williams says, the work is about keeping pets out of shelters and in places where they can provide mental health assistance to humans in need.

On Aug. 4, Project Pet hosts ‘Unleash the Love: Support Project Pet Charity Giving Event‘ to better inform people about their health services for pets and people.

Those include the organization’s partnership with the Oakland Animal Services, where they’re working to ensure the adoption of 80 dogs per year through their Release Relief program. And All of Us or None, a nonprofit that assists those returning from time served behind bars, will share information on Prop. 6, a November ballot initiative that would prohibit the current practice in California of involuntary servitude — slavery — as punishment for a crime.

While issues of mass incarceration, homelessness, mental health concerns, financial insecurity and overcrowded animal shelters might seem unrelated to each other, Project Pet doesn’t see it that way. As Williams tells me, there’s a direct line, drawn by socioeconomic status, that connects nearly two million people behind bars in the United States to the two million animals euthanized each year.

“Because,” Williams says, “they’re not killing rich people’s dogs.”

Project Pet hosts ‘Unleash the Love: Support Project Pet Charity Giving Event’ on Sunday, Aug. 4, from 11 a.m.–1:30 p.m. at Oakstop (1721 Broadway, Oakland). Details and more information here.