Pet friendly homeless shelter

[Catherine]

I was reading about this pet friendly homeless shelter and I was already starting a post about it when I realized the shelter is in Toronto. This is a pet friendly city.

The shelter is an amazing idea. Homeless people would rather sleep outside than be separated from their pets. Finally we are understanding this and helping them. For some people the pet is all they have, the only one who really cares. The pet motivates people to do better with their lives. Caring for the pet gives a homeless person a sense of purpose.

http://news.google.ca/news/url?sr=1&ct2=...t=2&at=dt0

There are other pet friendly shelters being build. This is a sign that we are starting to see homeless people as people and not just the homeless.

I am proud of my city.



I debated making this a separate post, but it really goes with what I have already posted.

https://www.thedodo.com/woman-without-a-...50728.html


There are wonderful people in many places working to help the homeless and their pets.

[LPC]

What wonderful articles - and well done, Fred Victor Bethlehem United Shelter!

[Tobi]

It's good to see this set up for the homeless and their animal companions. The city of Toronto really has its act together, from what I have heard from you, Catherine, about what goes on there.

In my own opinon, the next move is to see far more 'pet friendly' apartments for let. Sometimes one of the reasons for being homeless is because it is increasingly hard to find rented property in the lower price range, where animals are allowed. Such apartments are often available to those who have lots of money!

I can fully understand landlords' concerns about allowing animals. But the remedy for that is to do regular checks on their tenants and their properties, to make sure standards are good, and that clearly stated as a condition on the tenancy agreement, so the tenants are aware, and sign it. Or lose their deposit money. And unfortunately, some landlords want their rent income but do not want to put that sort of work in!

[Catherine]

I don't think it is legal to exclude pets. If anyone ever challenged it, excluding pets wouldn't hold up. If they can't ban a smoker and smoking causes cancer, how can they ban a bog that causes happiness.

Toronto does very well and I am proud of it. We have shelters and rescues and a very strong Trap Neuter Release program. There are recycling programs and green spaces. Lots of people take public transit or ride bikes. There are bike lanes on major streets.  Many of the stores allow pets inside and many have resident cats, even dogs.  There are lots of people planting trees and planting bee friendly gardens.  Last spring we planted thousands of milkweed plants so the monarch butterflies would have food.

Next month I plan to attend a free screening of a documentary called Cowspiracy( details will be posted on another thread). It will be at my local library and it is sponsored by a local vegetarian group.

Toronto is a good place to live.

[Ruth]

This is wonderful news! I'm always happy when pets are treated the same as humans, beings in need.

[Catherine]

I think they are recognizing how important pets are to people in need. Helping the person has to include the pet or it is not really help.
It is very enlightened thinking and it is actually helping people.