The best known organization was set up by a simple teenage girl. Most think that one person can’t make a difference or that you have to be of a certain age. But she proved that wrong. And since then, girl scouts, adults, and others have followed in her footsteps. It was an idea that nobody put into action before. I’m sure that somebody else thought about it. And since then, pets’ rights have come into the spotlight with stars like Carrie Underwood leading the charge.
But after conducting research, one girl found that the homeless commonly have pets, which is not uncommon by any means. But it goes beyond that. These are often their only companions. And they take care of their pets at the expense of themselves. When they get money or food, some would say they buy drugs or alcohol. But some have found that they spend it on dog food or they feed the food they get to their dogs to make sure that they are taken care of first. This means that they are in greater danger of starvation and malnutrition. And she has done all of this in the heart of New York City.
Despite what some may think, she is making a difference not only in the lives of the pets, but in the lives of their owners. Some believe that they should give up their pets. But I have found that there is no greater love for these animals than some of these homeless individuals provide. When a pet is your only companion, it breeds certain differences in the way that you care for those pets.
Through years of service, they have noted a difference. When they can feed their dogs consistently, many of these people have an easier time feeding themselves and otherwise caring for themselves. And obviously, these companions end up better off with a more consistent source of the nutrients they need. Not every homeless person has a pet. But for those that do, it makes all the difference in the world.
In the past, I have offered to take dogs. And in some ways, I can see that some use their dogs as a pity piece just as some would use children to get more money. After all, we take more pity on a child than someone who looks like a drug addict. But many genuinely care. And in either case, I have never found any willing to give that companion up, even for a certain amount of money. But I have seen some homeless throw away food that was provided to them. I have never seen them discard dog food, and many show greater appreciation for that food than for food of the human variety.
