Homeless person and two dogs

[Greydove28]

Just walked past a homeless person with two dogs. One a v expensive dog. Aibu to wonder how they afford it?

Load of bullies

People with dogs tend to get more donations so its not uncommon for homeless people to have dogs. Or it could be a dog they bought before becoming homeless. Or it might not be their dog, the homeless man who is normally outside my local corner shop occasionally minds other peoples dogs while they nip into the shop, I think he likes the company.

Maybe the dog was wearing clothing as it must be cold living on the streets.

The PDA are for people who cant pay regular vet fees ect im sure her/his dogs will be well fed. If they were neglected im sure you would ring the phone RSPCA straight away.

Perhaps he owned the dogs before he was made homeless?
There's a video floating about the internet which shows a homeless person's dog being removed by animal rights activists in France. The dog and the owner are both screaming.
The dog was perfectly happy with his owner and was returned to him after a public appeal.

PDSA offers free treatment to those on low incomes with pets. Also, if I was homeless on the street, i'd get a dog too- for protection, company and for someone warm to hug at night. Ive seen homeless guys feeding their dogs before themselves so most of them really do love their dogs.

Some homeless people are genuinely homeless and they love their dogs.

Some are not genuinely homeless but beg and also love their dogs, they just go home at the end of their 'working' day or to the pub with their pet.

Unfortunately there is a new trend for beggars to steal dogs to use while posing as homeless beggars. There are people who follow sightings of the dogs in an effort to try to return them to the original owners. Many of the thieves/beggars are known, they also move about the country, and move the dogs about to avoid being caught.

@Greydove28 you do a real disservice to genuine victims of bullies.

I never judge a homeless person as you never know how they got into such an awful situation. Maybe they want to feel protected and warm on cold scary nights alone. Maybe the dog was abandoned, even expensive pets can be abandoned, maybe they owned dogs before they ended up on the streets. Its quite often said and been said by vets too that the homeless take great care of their pets just as much as you and i and there are even programmes so these dogs obtain veterinary treatment if required, also lots of food is donated to their dogs.

Mixed feelings really. Ideally all people and their dogs would have a cosy roof over their heads. Having said that, the amount of 'I'm pregnant and can no longer keep my dog, so must rehome immediately' type posts floating around the internet set my teeth on edge. If I were facing imminent homelessness, it would be a cold day in hell before I surrendered my dog to a random person. I'd have to know he'd be loved and as cared for in his new home.

Oh god the image of the German shepherd looking in to the man's face, and the cat staying with its owner on the streets has made me feel all mushy!

Most pps have replied civilly, but you do not like the majority of the responses OP, so you are resorting to name-calling and flouncing off. The alternative would be to think perhaps that you were wrong?

One of my service users used to rent his dog out to other homeless people for a cut of the money/all the dog food people gave. I thought it was rather enterprising of him.

We technically had a no pets rule in our temporary accomodation but like most other things, it was flexible (or at least my interpretation of it was). Better we house a pet than let someone sleep on the streets although some of my colleagues would have disagreed.

I think I’d buy the faux innocence if the sentence about the “expensive” dog wasn’t included. Although, the question would still have an obvious answer.

You made a judgement about the cost of the dog, inferring that a homeless person shouldn't be able to afford one - perhaps you think he could trade it in to pay for a place to stay, Instead of begging? You've already been given some reasons why he might the dog, but 'expensive' dogs can also end up abandoned on the street too, perhaps that's how he came by it.

Are you really having a flounce because most people politely pointed out a myriad of reasons as to why a homeless person might have an ‘expensive’ dog?

I met a homeless person recently and had a chat for a while. Not once did her hand stop stroking that beloved dog of hers. She was refused accommodation because she had the dog, but said she would rather sleep outside than lose her.

I’ve got two dogs and would rather be homeless than lose them. I feel very strongly that we are denying poor people rights and experiences that we all take for granted, pet ownership being one, and need to hold this government to account over their horrendous attitude,

I too think it's a bit odd. If you want to adopt a dog you have to have all sorts of checks and prove they have a secure garden and means to buy food....but if you are homeless it's ok?

OP, clearly AIBU is not the place for you.

You've been called out on your judgement, it'd be better if you just accepted it.

TabbyMumz why do you assume they got the dogs when the owner was already homeless?

I too think it's a bit odd. If you want to adopt a dog you have to have all sorts of checks and prove they have a secure garden and means to buy food....but if you are homeless it's ok?

And you know this man adopted this dog after he became homeless?

How?

I too think it's a bit odd. If you want to adopt a dog you have to have all sorts of checks and prove they have a secure garden and means to buy food....but if you are homeless it's ok?

We had lots of pet owners (dogs, cats, rabbits, lizards and snakes) present to our homeless team. None of my service users went out and got a new pet knowing they were homeless though.

Those that are calling out the op for being 'judgy' what do you think you are saying about the op, that you do not know personally, erm judging her! There was a known case of a St Bernard sitting out with a beggar in those really hot summer days last year. They were seen at the end of the day shoving it in a filthy transit for the night, then taken out for the next days takings, these are gangs doing this, not genuine homeless, the dog was thought to be drugged. Dog theft is rife, especially the cute ones. I am not saying that of all homeless people with dogs, as I dont know them personally.
But it certainly does happen.

I’ve got a “very expensive” breed and I’m pretty skint, often wonder if people think this about me but I got her as an adult from someone that couldn’t look after her