Pets of the homeless

Homeless people have pets.  Or is it that the animals in crisis gravitate to the homeless people as there is a connection of souls that need each other. When I started this project in the 1990’s the encampments that I visited were rather large. Just about every day dogs and cats were dropped off because someone didn’t want them and it became the responsibility of the homeless people to see that the animals ate.  Sadly the pets were not spayed or neutered and there were endless litters of puppies and kittens.  Also in the camps were ducks and chickens that the dogs and cats seem to ignore. Chickens are popular in Miami for fresh eggs and they are a common sight around the city.  

Homeless people with pets know that they can't take them everywhere.  The owner may need to go off to eat at a shelter or meet with social workers. When ever they leave a pet even for a short period they need to trust that someone will look after it in their absence or they risk losing that companion.

The saddest most confusing experience I witnessed during this project was when  the encampments were being closed down and strangers appeared to decide the fate of the pets. Animal control came and gathered up pets to take off to the pound. Concerned citizens came to lay claim on a few puppies and kittens. None of them took into account that the animal they were taking belonged to someone.  Not only were the residents of the camp losing their shanties, their pets were being taken away as if they were neglectful caretakers.

One man had a dog (See the photo above) that went almost everywhere with him. The dog was always on a leash. On eviction day he left the dog at his shanty and went on an errand. While he gone his dog was taken away to the pound. Even if he wanted his friend back he didn’t have the transportation or the money to retrieve his beloved dog. It broke my heart because I imagined how I would feel if it happened to me.

There is certainly a gray area of what is right and what is wrong.  Just because a human is homeless does that mean they do not have the right to have a dog or a cat? From the reactions of the stranger that day I almost felt they were more concerned for the animals than the people. I was trying my best to observe and stay neutral but I had a hard time watching the homeless man I knew grieving for his dog.

Encampment residents that refused to accept “treatment” must now become wanders without shelter and the talk I heard all around me on eviction day was what about the homeless pets? I like animals a lot but what about the people?  What is going to happen to them? The answer was that treatment was offered. They have the right to refuse treatment. Outreach workers are not responsible for people that refuse treatment. I heard sorrow for the pets because the pets did not choose this existence but the people did. Is homelessness a choice? Do pets have more rights than the people? I ask this knowing that the pets in the animal shelter if not adopted will more than likely be euthanized.

I agree the majority of homeless people I photographed appeared to have substance abuse issues. But it was not true for all of them. There was not a social program for every problem there was only a list a programs dealing mostly with drugs and alcohol adiction. Regardless of why the resident was homeless the ultimatum was simple: accept a program or not. Either way, this shack will be demolished on this date and if you do not hide your pet you will be permanently separated from it.

At the camp of sex offenders (Bookville) in 2010 there were a lot of cats but no dogs. The cats were good at keeping down the rodent population however they often sprayed their territory and you could smell their presence.  Residents learned to keep valuables like spare shoes away from the prowling felines who would certainly mark them.

The sex offenders were middle class citizens unable to move home with their families due to laws prohibiting it. They were homeless by force and not homeless by choice. They wore leg monitors to assure they check into the camp under the bridge each night.  Sleeping under a bridge was not a place they wanted to call home. The residents agreed not to bring dogs there because they liked dogs and didn’t want to see the animals suffer in anyway.  When strays wandered into the camp they would find it a good home.

Is it right for homeless people to have pets when by society’s standards they are not even capable of taking care of themselves?  Or is possible that pets in their lives are sources of unconditional love that the individual may need? Regardless of the reason that a person is in a chronically homeless situation it may be nice to believe that a pet could encourage a positive transformation. Receiving unconditional love may be healing feeling even if it comes from an animal.

Here is a link to a story in Los Angeles about a dog that touched the hearts of people living on skid row: http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-dietrich-dog-skid-row-20120820,0,6492641.story

Please check out my website for this project at http://www.marylou.us/chaos .  I also have a facebook presence at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Photographer-MaryLou-Uttermohlen/201723200603?ref=hl . This part of the project was made possible by an individual artist fellowhip of $5,000 from the State of Florida.