Dogs’ Trust Hope Project
During the recent very cold snap, it was especially worrying to think about the extra difficulties homeless people face, together with the dogs who are their companions.
As our member Malcolm Winch of Blackheath Meeting mentioned in his comment on the QHA Christmas shelter post, we might, if we give to homeless people we come across in our cities, also offer them food for the dogs.
Widely organised and effective support in other ways is also available.
Dogs Trust Hope Project has been helping dogs whose owners are homeless or in housing crisis since 1994. The project was set up to offer advice to homeless dog owners and free veterinary care to their dogs.
How the Hope Project helps:
- Veterinary entitlement card scheme giving free and subsidised veterinary treatment to dogs whose owners are homeless or in housing crisis
- Animal welfare advice for dog owners who are homeless or in housing crisis in a ‘Happy & Healthy’ booklet
- Advice and assistance for hostels, shelters and day centres on accepting clients with dogs
- Information on homelessness projects that accept clients with dogs in a directory of dog-friendly homelessness services
- Christmas parcel service providing treats, coats, collars, leads and toys for dogs whose owners are homeless over the festive season
- Supporting Crisis, the national homelessness charity, every winter to provide a dog-friendly Christmas shelter in London
Martin and Bassa
Photo courtesy of © Isobel Hutchison.
Dogs’ Trust also supplies the Quaker Homeless Action Christmas shelter at the Union Chapel in Islington, which QCA supports each year.
For more information, including several useful Hope Project publications to download, please visit:
www.dogstrusthopeproject.org.uk
Registered Charity Numbers: 227523, SC037843 and CHY 16218
~ We are grateful to the Dogs’ Trust for allowing us to use their materials in this article.