California Introduces Pet-Friendly Homeless Shelters To Help Get People Off The Street

The homeless crisis is a widespread issue across the country. Thousands upon thousands of people are living on the streets. This is particularly true in larger cities where skyrocketing prices are making it nearly impossible to live comfortably. However, many homeless people are refusing the care and assistance that could help them most. Why is that? At least a portion of homeless people avoid visiting shelters that could help them because it would mean having to abandon their pets, which many refuse to do. Now, California is trying to combat that problem by introducing pet-friendly homeless shelters.

California Introduces Pet-Friendly Homeless Shelters

GoodGoodGood shared the exciting news. A team at the University of Southern California’s Homelessness Policy Research Institute decided to evaluate the effectiveness of these pet assistance programs. After realizing that many homeless people are turned away from shelters because they refuse to leave their dogs behind, and the shelter cannot accommodate the pets.

The hope of introducing pet-friendly homeless shelters was that more people would be willing to get off the street since they are now able to bring their beloved pets with them. The outlet shared that “California’s Department of Housing and Community Development established this pilot program in 2019.”

The program wasn’t cheap. The outlet shared that between 2020 and 2024, California spent $15.75 million on the organization. However, the funding was spent well. They used that money to “build kennels or other pet-friendly spaces, provide pet food and supplies, and offer basic veterinary care” to all the pets that came into the shelter with their owners. Additionally, “it also covered the costs of staffing and maintaining insurance required to operate pet-friendly shelters.”

Was The Program A Success?

The idea behind the program was a noble one, something I am sure everyone can get behind. But was it a success? According to the teams’ findings, it was. The University team partnered with “My Dog Is My Home, a nonprofit that supports pet-inclusive housing and services for the homeless, and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.”

They found that “the program helped 4,407 people experiencing homelessness keep their pets while getting support.” That in and of itself is a huge success. Additionally, they shared that “A total of 886 people ultimately moved into permanent housing with their pets – a higher success rate than the statewide average for homeless people in California.”

Despite this success, the number of homeless people and homeless people with pets continues to rise. Many blame the ever-increasing cost of living. However, with more programs like this one, we may stand a chance at combating this crisis.

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