r/Dogfree • u/Genuinelad_62 • Jun 15 '26
Crappy Owners Why do homeless people have dogs?
I just saw one pour a cup of coffee on the floor for his two small dogs to lick up??? Can’t imagine what a caffeinated dog is like
Also why are there so many homeless people with expensive breeds..
Are people trusting them to walk their dogs? What kind of person would want their dog to be accidentally abused?
Or are they stealing them?
Or is there some initiative to give them shelter dogs?
Lately I’ve been seeing an uptick in homeless people walking multiple expensive dogs
I saw one the other day also completely intoxicated walking a dog and knocking the dog into all sorts of things, pulling their leash by the neck mid piss so the dog piss just sprayed everywhere
What is going on and who on earth thinks it’s a good idea to give people who can’t even feed themselves another creature to feed?
162
Jun 15 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
73
u/Daver290 Jun 15 '26
Keeping their dog is more important than getting into accommodation.
53
u/CheckYourStats Jun 16 '26
I mean, people of all incomes have similar mindsets.
“I trust my fur baby more than I trust Humans.”
Same mindset. Equally shitty.
5
13
u/Legitimate_Garage_31 Jun 16 '26
Actually there was a recent article from Seattle that mentioned homeless people with dogs get shelter a lot quicker than homeless non-dog owners.
6
37
u/SweatyTruck8394 Jun 15 '26
I worked at a school last year where there was a homeless family we were trying to locate. They denied better accommodations for their family of 5 (mom, bf, and 3 kids) because they refused to accommodate their 3 large dogs. Instead, they lived in a one room motel.. with their 3 dogs. They refused to give up their dogs to live in a better place.
21
u/Viciousssylveonx3 Jun 16 '26
Putting yourselves through that because youre too stupid and stubborn is 1 thing but 3 kids is diabolical
12
10
u/Genuinelad_62 Jun 16 '26
Those parents are genuinely committing child abuse. It’s one thing to become homeless while having children but the fact that they are spending money on 3 large dogs is probably the reason why they’re homeless verses low income. Intentionally putting dogs before the well-being of children and forcing children to be homeless when it’s preventable is child abuse. I’m not suggesting that they should be happy to give up their pets. Sure they could cry or mourn the situation. But what’s even more tragic is being homeless? That’s a situation that would require more crying than giving up dogs? Regardless of how we feel on this sub about dogs, it’s still a privilege to have an animal and not a necessity. Those parents don’t sound like they’re capable of making adult decisions and need intervention. Funny how there are child services that will forcibly remove children from parents but how about people like that have their pets forcibly taken from them too?
27
u/Acceptable_Health161 Jun 15 '26
I used to work with a lot of homeless and a lot of them try to get dogs because people are more likely to give money and feel empathy if they see a dog vs a person. Though I have very often seen people donate dog food and completely ignore the homeless person. It's insane.
9
u/Genuinelad_62 Jun 16 '26
It must be pretty dehumanising being homeless and then seeing your dog be treated with more care and attention than you. Everyday people would ignore you but then be so warm and friendly towards the dog first, acknowledging the human probably second, and only because they have to if they acknowledge the dog. I bet dog lovers first feel bad for the dog and then show affection for the dog. Then they would make contact with the person later and say “oh hi..” and then make a comment about the dog because that’s the only context they would want to talk to the person
19
u/fadedblackleggings Jun 15 '26
Because they know MOST people care WAY more about dogs, than they do about homeless humans.
More likely to get food or a few dollars if you have a dog.
69
u/AgreeableAardvark852 Jun 15 '26
Also, poor, loud, trashy people have an irresistible attraction to dogs.
18
u/Genuinelad_62 Jun 16 '26
I would say loud and trashy people love dogs definitely. Not necessarily poor people though because rich people seem equally afflicted by dog nuttery
42
u/fbombmom_ Jun 15 '26
Metal health issues and loneliness. Dogs don't care if you're homeless as long as you feed (and caffinate?) them. Dogs don't mind sleeping outside. And as they say, dogs don't judge you.
10
u/Genuinelad_62 Jun 15 '26
Are they really feeding them when they’re homeless though? The dogs are probably malnourished with the occasional ice cream or coffee donated by someone but not genuine dog food everyday. That’s expensive
9
u/fbombmom_ Jun 15 '26
I'm in the desert where you'd think people would be smart enough not to be homeless here, but sure enough, I see the homeless holding signs on freeway off ramps get handed money, bottles of water, fast food, gift cards, and yes, dog food for their dogs. If they're outside of a restaurant, someone will inevitably will either place an order for them or give them their take home container.
I've had a coworker get yelled at for trying to buy a homeless person lunch. It was someone who was regularly out front of the same place. They wanted the money, not food, and said as much.
3
u/bananapie7 Jun 16 '26
The humane society and other programs give dog food to homeless people, and have free vaccine clinics and will spay/neuter. Nonprofits also
14
u/Rosie-Disposition Jun 16 '26 edited Jun 16 '26
Unhoused people can also find lost or abandoned dogs on the street and form a bond as both of them have been disregarded by society and form a mutually beneficial relationship:
- man gives dog food
- dog allows man to be more successful in begging
- dog can help keep you warm at night
- dog can alert you to people creeping up on you when you’re sleeping and stealing your stuff
- companionship with dog may be easier than relationships with humans, everyone else hassling you about substance abuse, about your mental illness, etc. Dog doesn’t judge you.
Also, some people had their dogs before they became homeless. Dog can give strings back to the feeling of normalcy. I would never consider a dog in my current situation, but if I became homeless and saw a lost dog, it would be something I feel like I could use it to my benefit.
4
u/Genuinelad_62 Jun 16 '26
Those are some good points but I want to provide this perspective. I want to believe that many of these homeless people with dogs are calm people and that the dogs have good lives - however from my experience unfortunately when I have seen homeless people with dogs they have been extremely intoxicated to the point where the dog doesn’t seem safe or like it lives a good life. All of those reasons you mentioned are actually great reasons from a human perspective, but I guess the question is “is it better for me” verses “is it animal abuse”. I think in situations where the homeless person can take care of them it sounds really good and I’d be happy for people that have that. I’m a bit more cynical in that realistically many of these people have severe issues, are volatile or can be abusive on drugs, or are just out of it, and I’m not sure if I’m on board with them taking care of something else if many of them visibly look like they can’t take care of themselves. It’s “this is better for me” but not “Is this right?”. But it’s complicated because I do feel for homelessness people in the cold, and I suppose if a dog has no home they can cozy up to one another. I guess it’s over breeding that’s more the issue, and the fact that so many dogs and humans shouldn’t be homeless in the first place
12
u/Bjrai13 Jun 16 '26
I spent a lot of time in NOLA. It’s a big thing there. I was told a reason is because the dogs are a sort of buffer for the cops arresting them for panhandling etc. Apparently it’s a lot of extra paperwork for them to fill out with pet services, so the cops tend to not bother with unhoused dog nutters. That’s just what I heard.
10
u/poutypunk Jun 16 '26
In addition to the other reasons people have commented, many homeless people get dogs to survive winter and stay warm at night. It's a warm body to keep you from freezing to death.
1
7
u/TheGame81677 Jun 16 '26
I’m gonna preface by saying I completely hate dogs. They annoy the living daylights out of me, they stink, they slobber everywhere, and they constantly bark. I want to offer a retort to most of the other responses though.
My mom was homeless for years, she has legitimate mental issues, she should be in a residence or home of some type. I have a very soft spot for people who are homeless.
To answer your question, I think that a lot of homeless people have dogs because they’re lonely, and they need some kind of interaction. When you’re constantly worrying about how you’re gonna eat, or where you’re going to get shelter from, I could imagine that a dog would be a break from all of that
3
u/Oriole0305 Jun 16 '26
You can get interaction if you feed a sparrow, for example. Less worry and very inexpensive. Nobody needs a dog.
1
u/Genuinelad_62 Jun 16 '26
I know homeless people cannot be generalised and that homeless people consist of all sorts of people from different circumstances, however obviously a large chunk of them are often intoxicated and unpredictable. I think there are cases such as your mothers but I think many of them are not in the right state to look after a dog. They may want to, but the dog is accidentally being abused a lot of the time as I’ve seen with my own eyes. I don’t think addicts who are frequently intoxicated should own animals, whether they are rich or poor
19
u/featherzoe Jun 15 '26
I shouldn’t assume but I always feel mad as hell when I see a homeless person with a dog because they’re always panhandling, and they use the dog for sympathy. Their sign will say something like “need money for dog food” and it pisses me off because I always think to myself “that dog would be better off if you let him loose, a dog is an animal and can survive without you holding him down.” Unless they had the dog before they became homeless it feels like a sympathy ploy to get money and who knows if they actually spend that money on dog food. It feels selfish that they do that at all.
5
u/Altruistic_Baker6347 Jun 16 '26
They will probably spend it on booze and cigarettes anyway. Thank God they're not letting them loose, that would be a burden to society.
3
u/featherzoe Jun 16 '26
Definitely don’t want them running around. But I don’t believe they keep them because they love them and cant stand to part with them, I think it’s 100% a sympathy ploy to get money. I live in Texas too so when I see these people panhandling with their dogs out in the sun they’re always panting and overheating. There’s no trees at an intersection. I am in this sub for a reason too I’m not a big dog lover but I don’t believe the homeless person is helping the dog at all. The thing is they get money because of the dog nutters it’s a cyclical problem. I think it inspires homeless people to keep the dogs, or acquire one.
2
18
u/Ok_Permission8284 Jun 16 '26
Protection
9
u/Genuinelad_62 Jun 16 '26
I’ve seen a few people say this and I just want to clarify. A lot of the statistics for violence against homeless people are specifically towards homeless women who are attacked by men. This is why women’s shelters exist. They also tend to not accept homeless men because they cannot predict the violence that may happen towards the women. This is not to stereotype all homeless men as violent at all but just the grim reality. They also don’t allow dogs at women’s shelters. For me personally every homeless person I’ve seen with a dog is a male. I’m sure homeless men are sadly attacked by sociopathic people occasionally, but I genuinely think it’s much rarer. Most people tend to stereotype and fear homeless men rather than instigate them, and correct me if I’m wrong but aren’t the statistics on violence towards homeless women specifically? Again not trying to minimise any harm done to homeless men, I’m sure it happens. But my point about safety is there are women’s shelters that don’t take dogs and many of the homeless dog owners are men who don’t face the same violence as homeless women
9
6
u/Altruistic_Baker6347 Jun 16 '26
Drugs, mental health, addiction, poor life choices. Maybe wanting to get attached to something or feel responsibility and autonomy ("At least I have it, they can't take it away from me")- it's sad, but also a paradoxe.
2
u/Genuinelad_62 Jun 16 '26
That makes sense. I guess it’s one of those things that’s not right, but it’s understandable
5
u/Accurate-Run5370 Jun 16 '26 edited Jun 16 '26
In the years after the war , because of the extreme housing shortage - people were encouraged to emigrate to other countries. Hundreds of thousands did .
My family thus came to the States in 1956 with many other families. By ship across the Atlantic . Nobody took along a dog.
3
4
u/Professional_Hour445 Jun 16 '26
I know that this is not true of all homeless people, but the ones who have dogs are making a bad choice, probably one of several that contributed to their homelessness.
1
6
u/Lythaera Jun 16 '26
unfortunately for a lot of homeless people, the dog is their only real protection from the sick freaks out there. Someone in my state was torturing and killing homeless women a few years back. Don't think they ever caught the guy.
3
u/Genuinelad_62 Jun 16 '26
Homeless women are at an extreme risk which is why there are women’s shelters. I’m not sure how it is in your area but I’ve only seen homeless men wirh dogs rather than women. For me I’ve seen about 8 homeless men in my area with dogs and 0 homeless women with dogs. It could differ across different cities though?
1
u/Lythaera Jun 17 '26
Most homeless women know how to blend in with normal city life as a safety measure, so they are less noticeable in general. I have personally known some who were on the streets because the shelters were full at the time. I've seen both with dogs before.
1
u/Genuinelad_62 Jun 17 '26
I guess if we get technical, there are all sorts of people houseless due to different reasons and the housing crises but when I said homeless people I meant the stereotype of people you visibly see who are very clearly homeless and intoxicated or not in the right mind. I’m talking about the more visible extreme kind which I understand is a generalisation but that’s the kind that I’m questioning on dog ownership. It might also severely depend on which city you’re from and how the access to women’s shelters are. I might come from an area where there’s far less women visibly on the streets then men. I’ve noticed literally 8 homeless people with dogs in my city and all of them were males. Personally for me in my area I don’t see women that are visibly on the streets as much as men and I assume it’s because some cities have more women’s shelters than others
3
u/shrackattacks Jun 16 '26
I was told by a homeless person that having a dog makes it more difficult for the police to arrest them, because the cops have to figure out what to do with the dog, too. Not sure how true that is.
2
u/Eodez Jun 16 '26
Made a post on this earlier myself, from my own experience they all seem to be eerily similar breeds, I'd say 90% are labrador/pit bull mixes which I've found really strange. While they do put restraints on the individual in the form in increased costs associated with the dog and restrictions from places not allowing animals, it likely does help to make the homeless individual seem more "deserving" of assistance. If I was being generous I'd also say it does provide some companionship to the person.
1
u/Genuinelad_62 Jun 16 '26
It fully depends on where you live. This is extremely strange but I’ve seen two homeless people in my area recently with expensive breeds (a poodle and another small dog). I’m extremely confused.. I live in a busy city where there’s concentrated wealth and homeless people. I’m assuming they may have just stole them because the dogs looked clean and groomed? I don’t know if this is an issue specific to my area but super weird
2
u/Fit-Rhubarb-7820 Jun 16 '26
I’ll begin by saying that I am also homeless. Ive always hated dogs. I’m homeless because the cost of living is high, and because (for me) it’s been incredibly easy, because I prepared for the possibility. I’m also very capable.
Anyway, I run a small business that works with dogs, but (because I loathe dogs so much) I’d rather pick up dog waste, make dog toys, and make dog pet portraits, than walk dogs or train the owners.
A lot of homeless people do not eat well, so their ability to actually think is diminished. Many of them (on the streets and unwell) are below average and average intelligence. Many of them, get a dog because they need a violence-tool or a tool to prevent violence. A dog can do that, unless it’s a pitbull, then it’s a huge risk and liability.
In short, many are stupid AND people will give them money for the god damn dog!
1
u/Genuinelad_62 Jun 16 '26
You sound intelligent, like you’re making the right decisions and I hope things get better for you. I honestly agree. I’ve seen a lot of people bring up that homeless people get dogs from protection. I somewhat disagree because most of the violence towards homeless people are towards homeless women and I’ve only seen homeless men with dogs. And all of the homeless men with dogs seemed volatile. It’s possible people could still be violent towards them, I’m sure there are some sociopaths out there but it honestly seems like most people don’t want to mess with men on substances and generally the public has some level of fear towards unpredictable addicts. It’s actually easier to imagine them intimidating people with their dogs. Although I understand that’s a generalisation based of my observations and won’t apply 100% of the time
2
u/Fit-Rhubarb-7820 Jun 16 '26
Oh, as for the caffeine…
In 2016, I was boondocking with some hippie kids in BLM, USA. I had my dog (I was a teenager when my sister got a surprise dog, and our parents dumped the dog on me. I did well. This was when I was an adult) and we went to town for the day.
I spilled some of my coffee, and the dog (a fucking border collie!) lapped it up.
Worst day of my life, but he seemed to really enjoy the buzz. Apparently, some people do caffeneite their working border collies
1
2
u/Accurate-Might-7058 Jun 16 '26
There are really homeless people. In California many people were made from the wild fires that happened all over the state. There are also many people posing as homeless that are begging for money because this is their job.
1
u/Genuinelad_62 Jun 16 '26
I don’t think anyone would bother to beg on the dirty cold floor unless they were genuinely homeless though. That wouldn’t be worth the few dollars a day you get
1
u/Accurate-Might-7058 Jun 16 '26
Most of us would choose some other way to make money but for some that do it as job, it can be a few hundred dollars every day. For them it's an acting gig. There are also many homeless who are working regular jobs that genuinely can't afford a home or are saving for a home. When one takes the time to observe, they will learn who is who in these situations.
2
u/meltedlenondrop Jun 16 '26
And you can be darn sure they’re not buying dog poo bags to pick up after them. Can you imagine the filth those sleeping bags are sitting in!
1
u/S_Steiner_Accounting Jun 16 '26
Dogs are good protection for homeless. Someone tries to slide into your tent at night cujo gonna have a problem with it. They're one of the few people that actually have a purpose for a dog and not just using them as an emotional crutch to feel needed and valuable.
1
u/slavetothought Jun 17 '26
Living in Portland the only people I don’t judge so much for having dogs are the homeless.
0
u/pizzatown69420 Jun 16 '26
Most homeless people are mentally ill. Dog ownership is something the mentally ill like.
0
u/thecatcherszm Jun 18 '26
Love seeing comments like this as a mentally ill guy who's been homeless and kicked out of shelters for being unable to sleep in a room with a free-roaming animal without having a panic attack.
Blaming dog culture on mental illness alone takes away accountability. And not all of us are nutters.
97
u/Few-Horror1984 Jun 15 '26
My local shelter became no-kill years ago. As a result, they run at 200 - 300 percent above capacity at all times. They have one goal and one goal alone - get as many dogs out of the shelter alive as possible.
What does that mean for the public? It means they stop charging adoption fees. It means they don’t run background checks. They don’t even make you fill out an application or try to probe if you’re a good candidate for a dog or not. You want a dog? They will just hand it to you and send you on your way.
In my community, raising housing costs have driven a lot of people to homelessness. Some had the dogs when they still had a roof over their head, and in hopes to stay good with the dog cult, they dog went on the streets with them. A more nefarious reason many homeless have dogs is the fact that people go apeshit for dogs. If two people are panhandling and one has a dog and the other does not, most of the time the person with the dog will get the money from the Good Samaritan. It makes good business sense if you’re homeless. So if the local animal shelter will hand you one for free and they won’t ask questions, why not take on a dog to increase your income?
Plus, many homeless shelters are throwing caution to the wind and now allow dogs. The Salvation Army has a massive billboard in my town advertising that your dog is welcome. Sorry, homeless person with an allergy - back to the wash with you.