Pet Assistance Information
Federal & State Laws
Resources
News Media
- The Morning Journal, 10/18/2023, “Police charge owner of dog that was abandoned and died in Vermilion“
- Maddie’s Fund, 10/17/2023, “Research confirms the need for pet assistance for hospitalized patients“
- Adam Schiff, 09/21/2022, “Schiff, Crow, Bush Urge Hud to End Exorbitant Pet Fees in Public Housing“
- Associated Press, 05/01/2022, “Homeless shelters begin to see value in making room for pets“
- Talk Poverty, 11/12/2021, “Most Americans Have Pets. Almost One Third Can’t Afford Their Vet Care“
- NBC4 Columbus, 03/12/2020, “Terminally ill pets get homes with special adoption program,”
Literature & Toolkits
- A new study reveals there are also “veterinary deserts” in low-income areas. The lack of accessible care often means people must travel farther to get to the vet, which makes routine care more costly and less convenient.
- The December 2021 Community Veterinary Outreach newsletter highlights key research that shows pets of the homeless are well cared for.
- The National Alliance to End Homelessness has a Keeping Pets and People Together tool kit, available for download.
- Washington Post, 8/15/2021, “As evictions rise, people may have to give up their pets. Animal shelters are calling for help.”, a recent Washington Post article explains how Humane Animal Support Services has created a way to calculate the number of pets that could be affected by eviction in each county.
- Florida Today, Melbourne, 6/24/2021, the Brevard Health Alliance and Brevard Street Dog Coalition teamed up to meet the needs of pets and people for a clinic for pet owners without secure housing. People who may not seek care for themselves can be motivated by the chance to obtain care for their animals.
- Access to Veterinary Care: Barriers, Current Practices, and Public Policy, University of Tennessee, 12/17/2018
- Dogster.com, 02/24/2016, “Let’s Get Behind Programs That Help Low-Income Families Keep Their Pets,” Kezia Willingham
- Sustainable Development Law & Policy: Vol 18, Issue 1, Article 11, “Serving Pets in Poverty: A New Frontier for the Animal Welfare Movement,” Amanda Arrington and Michael Markarian
- Goodbye to a Good Friend: An Exploration of the Rehoming of Cats and Dogs in the US, E. Wiess, S. Gramann, S. SPain & M. Slater, Open Journal of Animal Sciences, 5: 435-456
- How Owner and Pet Demographics Affect Pet Body Condition Among People Experiencing Homelessness and Housing Vulnerability, a study conducted in Canada, in association with the nonprofit Community Veterinary Outreach (CVO), suggests that the health of pets owned by homeless and vulnerably-housed individuals is generally good and comparable to other populations of owned pets. CVO Animal Care Guidelines.
Websites