Assessment of health and welfare in a small sample of dogs owned by people who are homeless

Abstract

Background: Pet ownership is common among homeless people, with dogs the most frequently reported pets. However, homeless people receive considerable criticism for keeping pets due to public perception of poor care provision. Materials and methods: A convenience, cross-sectional sample of 19 homeless people, owning a total of 21 dogs were recruited, and their dogs’ health and wellbeing assessed using the PDSA Petwise MOT (P-MOT). Results: The dogs compared favourably with conventionally owned pets in most areas, including exercise and companionship. Problems included being overweight/obese (although at lower prevalence than the general population). Some owners had difficulty in accessing veterinary care. Behavioural concerns were reported for 61.9% of the dogs, most commonly separation-related distress. Discussion: Being unable to safely leave their pets may impair owners’ access to services. Provision of accessible veterinary care, behavioural support and pet-friendly services could improve the health of homeless owners and their pets.