Partnership to support homeless pet owners

A new partnership involving charities working with homeless pet owners can play a critical role in reducing rough sleeping, officials have claimed.

StreetVet and Street Paws have joined forces with the StreetLink platform in a scheme they hope will make it easier for homeless people to access support for both themselves and their animals.

Since relaunching its online referral platform last year, StreetLink estimates it has helped to support nearly 7,000 people who were living on the streets.

The system enables users to say whether they, or the people they are referring, have pets, which then triggers alerts to either StreetVet or Street Paws, which operates primarily in northern England, to investigate cases.

Kam Basra, operations director of Home Connections, which manages the StreetLink scheme, said it was “thrilled” to be working with the two groups.

She added: “Recognising the crucial role pets play in the lives of homeless individuals is pivotal to tackling the overall rough sleeping crisis.”

‘Fulfilling our mission’

StreetVet chief executive Zoe Abbotts said the partnership had increased awareness of their services, which meant clinical capacity was being stretched.

But she added: “The three-way collaboration has meant more pet owners nationwide who are experiencing homelessness can find a route to access the veterinary care their pet may need and deserve.

“It also means we are fulfilling our mission to support the pets of those experiencing homelessness with free veterinary care.”

Street Paws director Michelle Southern said the connection would “create a seamless referral process so that no-one is left out in the cold”.

StreetLink is also encouraging other agencies and members of the public to report instances where they see people sleeping on the streets with a pet. More information can be found on its website.