Do you think homeless people should be allowed to have dogs?

Question

why or why not? i think they should. plain and simple. homeless poeple need love and affection too don't you think? and concerning that they dont have the money to take them to the vet, so what? at least they care for them the best they can. i mean c'mon, there are PLENTY of people who actually HAVE the money to take them, but they dont. thats worse in my book. so what do you think?

Answer 1

never thought of it that way. i dont think they should have them. they dont have food, water, shelter, or medicines to take care of the dog properly. dont get me wrong, i understand that homeless people need some love and protection to but i think they should at least try ti clean them selves up a little and then get a job. then save up for a place and a loving pet.

Answer 2

Homeless people can have dogs.Sure.As long as the reason why they are homeless is cuz they use their rent or home to pay for the dog's needs and to treat him.

well,i think that people who never take their dogs to the vet are killing them unless of course they buy wormers that actually work well or any medicine that works well if their pet gets sick or shows signs of something bad.That is the only time it is allowed unless of course the owner is a vet and provides everything for the dog.

Anyone can have a dog as long as they give them love,medicine when needed,food,and care.

Answer 3

i think it is a sweet idea but the truth is that having a dog/puppy is hard work and takes a lot of money

Answer 4

What the h**l are you even talking about?  Homeless people have dogs.  They are either strays that they adopt or dogs that they had/knew and kept with them.

Answer 5

No, if a person can not care for their own needs and can't afford housing or food for themselves, it is plain cruelty to compel any animal to live in those conditions. A person should first be able to be responsible for and care for themselves before owning an animal.

Answer 6

if they can't feed themselves then how are they going to be able to feed a dog. but if they can feed it then yeah they can have one but honestly if they are homeless then they need to find somewhere to live or get a Job or something before getting a dog.  

Answer 7

We had a dog at our camp in desert storm.  Dogs can heal all kinds of pain.

Answer 8

I think they should be allowed to have dogs. Some people would say - they don't have enough money to feed and take care of them and vet bills. Well its true the homeless do need love and affection even more then we do. I think that the people that do have the money to take care of an animal but don't are worse. Homeless people would probably do anything to keep there pet healthy if they had one because of the love and affection they receive from it.  

Answer 9

True but you also have to remember that the dog might suffer from life on the street, Parvo, Rabies and Heartworms can be fatal to dogs who aren't protected against them and if the owner doesn't have any money then they can't afford to keep the dog protected but hey if they have the means to afford adequate vet care then I have no problem with it

Answer 10

I think your absolutely correct ...  

Answer 11

Yes, they should. I think in a lot of cases, the dogs are happier. They don't stay in a crate all day, or the house, or confined in a room, or on a chain all day, waiting for their owner to come home. They don't have behavior problems because they can go almost anywhere they want to, they travel and eat with their " pack ", which is more suited to a dog's natural lifestyle. It's good for the people too. I think they take better care of them than some people with homes do.

Answer 12

Homeless people are people too and I think they should be allowed to have dogs. I work with the homeless and have met a lot of homeless individuals when on outreach and the ones who own dogs seem to take better care of their dogs then of themselves and the dogs seem happy. Besides they offer companionship and love to the homeless. Of course if I come across someone who may have a sick pet I carry information with me to hand out to them of pet clinics that can help. But you would be surprised how many times a homeless person will turn down housing if their pets can't come along with them. They really do care for their dogs.  

Answer 13

It could be the best situation for dog and owner but then again, if there's no money rolling in, then whos expected to care for it?

I think they should be able to keep the dog if the dog is cared for but if not then no, it needs to be seen by a doctor if something goes wrong and it needs dog food.

Answer 14

If they can provide them with food why not let the dog and the human be happy, have love and comfort from each other.  It's funny how some people talk about the welfare of the dog...why not talk about the welfare of the human.

Answer 15

Of course! I bet that a homeless person would appreciate a dog more than any normal person because that would be their #1 side kick. As for feeding the dog, dogs are naturally wild animals and are scavangers. The dog will be able to find food one way or the other. Dogs have been so domesticated that people seem to forget what wild dogs eat, that they never see a vet and that many live to be very old.

Answer 16

Honestly i don't think they should. they cant even afford to take care of themselves, so how do you expect them to take care of a pet! i mean if its an obvious stray then i guess it ok , to make the dog their special little friend. but you cant expect them to actually take good and appropriate care for the dog!

Answer 17

I don't see what it would hurt to let homeless have them, yet I do see what it would help.There are many homeless dogs with behavioral problems that would take a lot to fix and most people won't make the effort. And, some street dogs would never be happy being house dogs.

I can't imagine living on the street, eating from garbage, but it could happen to anyone - yes anyone - under the right circumstances. What a comfort a dog would be! Maybe comfort enough to give me the strength to pull my life together.

As long as the dog isn't abused (it certainly isn't neglected, they are together 24/7) and isn't allowed to bother other people, then I see no harm.

Answer 18

I think yes they should be able to own dogs if the the dog receives atleast the basics of care. Of the homeless people I have known their dogs always came firs, often they are the best trained and controlled dogs that i have ever met and put most house dogs to shame. Most of these dogs would get put down if they didn't have the owner that they have.

One dog/owner stands out in my memory, the pair was Ron and Dakota. The owner was a homeless drug adict that everyone hated at the time and Dakota was a neglected uncontrolled Samoyed pup when he came under Rons care. They became best friends, Dakotas care came first, dog ate first and saw the doc way more than the ownet, when Ron would end up in jail, like ussual, he would always have someone find someone to take care of the dog, most of the time it was my house. Emergency vet care was ussally arranged for, even through street dogs are often tough as nails. One night at about 2am Ron came walking up to the car carrying duk, he said duk got into something and he needed to get the dog to the vet, this vet had an ongoing aggreement to help the dog. It turned out dakota had been bitten by a rattle snake, they sat in front of the vet until they opened.

In conclusion like with any dog/owner pair it is up to the owner to facilitate care, the dog needs to be fed watered and basic vet care.  There are plenty of owners with homes that don't do this, rather than categorizing people based off of how fortunate they are, maybegive them a bag of dog food or water jug and drinking bowl. Just because a dog might be dirty doesn't mean they are unhappy.

Answer 19

If they had $10 They could go to the shelter and get one :D

Now 2 people have love and oe dog less to get youthenized  

Answer 20

of course, that homeless person has lost everything and that dog is the only friend or family member they will have..maybe the only thing that keeps them going. In Portland I believe, they have programs that places donate dog food and dog supplies and organizations will deliver it to the homeless people to feed it to their dogs and to medicate their dogs (flea medicine, collars), etc. They have vets that work free for those pets. When the homeless are eating at soup kitchens volunteers come along and feed, and take care of the pets. Portland is the pet friendliest city in the world and almost every one has a pet. Shelters though do not allow pets and most homeless will turn down a spot to be able to keep their pet with them. I was homeless last year and in a shelter and I only saw my dog 1 hour a day and it almost killed me emotionally.. The only thing that kept me going was to know that tomorrow I would see him again..when you are homeless you need anything to give you a reason to go on.

Answer 21

well it depends like some homeless people dont hav a job so they may not be able to supply good food for a dog but a homless person who make a little bit of money from a small job miteb able to supply a good lifestyle but i argee with u they deserve love and affection to    or heres another good conclusion a homless guy mite b able 2 work at a dog shelter and make money get a house after a while and then get a dog and food that is wat i think

have a great day and hope it works out

Answer 22

In my opinion, homeless people should not be allowed to have dogs. If they are homeless they probably can barely afford to take care of themselves, therefore they would not be able to care for the dog with it's vet bills, dog food, and everything else. I know it may not seem fair to them but hey..it's life.  

Answer 23

No I do not believe that homeless people should be allowed to have dogs.  

The problem is their ability to feed and give proper medical care and shelter to the dog, it has nothing to do with their ability to love it.  

See... every family in theory "deserves" to have a Porche and a mansion.  But some people really just can't afford it... whether they deserve it or not isn't the issue.  

I'm not saying people who have money to take care of a dog and don't do it are a good thing at all, quite the opposite.  

No one should have a dog if they dont have the resources or dedication to take care of it, plain and simple.  Rich or poor.

Answer 24

If they are able to give the dog adequate care and not let it suffer, I don't have a problem with it.

I was living in my van for a while, my dogs were still cared for and received veterinary attention when required.

Answer 25

sure why not.