Should Homeless People Have Pets?

[3Dixi]

     Should homeless people have pets? Homeless people don’t have homes, barely get food for themselves, and are overall unstable. How do they provide for their pets? Wouldn’t it be easier for them if they gave up the pet and saved up money for themselves to start getting stable. They get about $20-$60 a day in larger cities. Imagine how much money they get in smaller cities. Some homeless people spend that money on drugs and not on actual useful things.

    Pets, like dogs, provide protection for the owner when they are sleeping. They also give the owner warmth when it is cold outside. Some pet owners that are homeless feed their pets before they feed themselves, but most don’t. Some of them don’t care about the pet’s health. For some people pets are a source of protection, companionship, and unconditional love. Pets cost about $700-$1,100 per year. That’s a lot of money for homeless people since they make about less than $52,000 per year (with disability and other factors). Most homeless shelters don’t allow pets in due to the fact of allergies. So where would the pet sleep if the owner is in a shelter? Some pets get snuck into the shelter, but others aren’t as lucky and are left outside the shelter. 

Personally I think that homeless people should have pets if they are able to take care of them. If they don’t think they have enough money or supplies to keep their pet healthy then they shouldn’t own one. There are also the homeless people who had pets before they were homeless. I think that those people shouldn’t give up their pet because their pet could enter a stage of depression due to being given up on.

Questions: 

Should homeless people have pets?

Should pets be allowed in all shelters?

Sources:

https://www.fredvictor.org/2019/07/06/the-truth-about-homeless-people-and-their-pets-you-need-to-know/

-https://invisiblepeople.tv/analyzing-the-benefits-of-pet-ownership-among-homeless-people/

https://www.cnet.com/personal-finance/heres-how-much-it-costs-to-own-a-dog-or-cat-in-2021/#:~:text=The%20average%20cost%20of%20owning,animals%20typically%20eat%20more%20food.)

https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/homelessness-homeless-salary-SRCH_KO0,21.htm

[3Dixi]

I agree with you, pets do bring happiness to many people and homeless people should only have them if they know they are good financially and if they are responsible enough.

[5Gabe]

I think homless be should be alowed to have pets because it is like a companon. I dont think all shelters need to exept pets becasue otherwise the shelter will start stinking. But I dont think a homeless person need a animal becasue it might be a wast of money.

[6Hope]

I think homeless people should be allowed to have pets. However, if they are not taking care of their pets then they should not be allowed to have them because that's animal abuse. Yes, I think pets should be allowed in shelters, it would be bad for the pets to be out on the streets they would have no way to get food. 

[2Alex]

I think that homeless people should be able to own pets, if they take good care and provide for them. However I think that Homeless people should mainly focus on themsleves.

[3Dixi]

Our opinions are very alike. If the homeless people can take good care and provide for the pet, then they should be able to have one. If they can't do that then they shouldn't.

[5John]

Homeless people often have a very strong connection to their pets, and the pets sometimes act as emotional support for the homeless person. I do think that the pets should be cared for, and be allowed in shelters. The pets deserve to be treated well considering what they do for the homeless person.

[5Laura]

I think that homeless people probably have a strong connection to their pets and that they mean much to them. Otherwise, I couldn't think of a reason why so many homeless people would have pets. I think that the pets are also probably some kind of protection to the homeless people. 

[3Dixi]

I agree with your opinion. Pets and the owners almost always have a good connection with eachother. 

[5Eli]

I think that pets should be sheltered and not have a rough life on the streets. I think that homeless people should not have pets unless they are taken care of. I find it very hard to believe that people on the streets are able to care for their pets. Personally, I think that most pets should not live on the streets.

[3Sabre]

I think that homeless people should be allowed to have pets. Sometimes, they don't choose to be homeless, and having a companion can help them. Sometimes the dog that they find is also a stray, so being with the person is way better than it was for them before. Being with this person, they at least get food once a week and water. Its way better then when they were a stray having to fight for food, find water, etc