A Dog Is For Life…
A homeless shelter in Glasgow has announced it will allow dogs to stay with their owners, following advice from housing providers.
The Glasgow City Mission will supply items such as food, bedding and treats for pets from 24 January. In November Simon Community Scotland issued guidance with Dogs Trust on the matter, highlighting how dogs could provide comfort for people with trauma.
Dogs Trust estimated only about 10% of hostels were dog-friendly at the time. The document consists of several pieces of advice such as how to provide dog-friendly communal rooms in temporary shelters and create risk assessments to ensure there are no issues with staff members being allergic to, or afraid of, pets.
The animal welfare charity supplied the Glasgow City Mission with materials in order to accommodate pets. A spokesperson for Glasgow City Mission said they “recognised the importance of dogs” to guests and wanted to make sure dog owners got a good night’s sleep. They continued: “We thank our friends at the Dogs Trust for their generosity in supplying all the necessary materials and accessories to allow us to launch this scheme. We have food, treats, bedding and toys ready and waiting.”
Dogs Trust has been supporting dog owners who are homeless or in housing crisis for more than 20 years. One of the biggest concerns has always been the number of hostels that do not accept dogs. Currently less than 10% of hostels in the UK are dog-friendly, meaning that many dog owners are denied access to shelter and support, simply because they have a dog.
But the charity points out that there are benefits to all concerned:
- For owners – When homeless people are forced to choose between their dog and a hostel place, most will choose to stay with their dog as their dog is often their main friend and companion. The bond between any dog and its owner is a strong one but never more so than with homeless people. By opening your hostel up to dog owners, you will be giving them access not only to shelter but to all the help, advice and support your hostel can give them.
- For staff – Staff working in dog-friendly hostels tell us that by allowing dogs, they are often able to help homeless people who wouldn’t usually engage with services. Talking to a resident about their dog will often lead to being able to help and support them in other ways. Staff at dog-friendly hostels say that having dogs there lightens the atmosphere and makes the hostel feel more homely.
- For other residents – Dogs are great social icebreakers and can get residents talking and interacting with each other. Dogs can also give other residents something to focus on. Many dog-friendly hostels have found that residents who had previously been withdrawn came out of their shell to talk to dogs and their owners.
Dogs Trust offers advice and support to hostels to help them begin accepting dogs and have also produced a series of videos for hostels on Welcoming Dogs. To find out more, go to www.moretodogstrust.org.uk
