A NEW pilot scheme launched by the Dublin Simon Community and Finglas based Dogs Trust is helping homeless dog owners stay with their four legged friends.
There are a number of homeless dog owners in Dublin who choose to sleep on the streets rather than take up an offer of sheltered accommodation without their pooch, who is often their best friend and companion.
Demise Hyland is one of them. He had lived on the streets of Dublin for a number of months with his dog Millie because he wasn’t allowed keep her with him overnight in sheltered accommodation.
However, both dog and owner now have beds to sleep in thanks to the pilot scheme that was launched last December.
The scheme is the first of its kind in Ireland and sees Dogs Trust providing free preventative treatments for Millie such as vaccinations, kennel cough immunisation, flea and worming treatments and microchipping so that the Dublin Simon Community can allow her to stay overnight alongside Demise.
“Dogs Trust feel allowances need to be made for people who have dogs and find themselves homeless,
? said head of communications, Kathrina Bentley.
“Sadly most accommodation providers in Ireland operate a
‘no dogs’ policy meaning that many homeless people are denied access to shelter and support, simply because they have a dog.
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Dogs Trust and Dublin Simon Community planned the scheme for over a year before rolling it out in December and they’re delighted that it’s now starting to pay dividends.
“We were so thrilled to see all our hard work paying off last December when we saw our first service user, Demise, settling in to his room safely with his gorgeous dog Millie, just in time for Christmas,
? Kathrina said.
“Millie has been a great talking point amongst the residents and staff, which helped create a really homely atmosphere in the centre over the Christmas period.
“Everybody is making her [Millie] feel very welcome indeed. We hope that a successful pilot case will encourage other accommodation providers to accept homeless people with dogs.
“The bond between dog and owner and the lengths a person will go to in order not to be parted from their canine companion is truly unique.
“We are honoured to be part of such a special scheme and recognise that most homeless people struggle to afford even basic veterinary care for their dog, and hope in time, to help more homeless dog owners’ access veterinary treatment, without the worry of being faced with a bill they can’t afford.
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