During 2018, around 678,000 people in Germany were homeless. [1] Rough estimates suggest that five to ten percent of all homeless people have a dog. There are good reasons for this.
The main reasons homeless people have dogs are protection, companionship, comfort, life drive (meaning) and social contact with people. Dogs have a positive impact on mental health and have been proven to reduce crime rates and drug and alcohol abuse among homeless people.
>> Our top recommendations
Dogs give meaning to life
One thing is clear: owning a dog gives life new meaning and comes with a great sense of responsibility. And in this respect, homeless people are in exactly the same situation.
Homeless people share their moving stories in interviews. How they are suddenly driven to find food and warm shelter because they have to care for their loyal four-legged companion.
A homeless man tells how he fasted for two days and gave his food to his dog. Dogs also keep many homeless people away from drugs and alcohol.
Several studies confirm that homeless people credit their dogs with saving their lives. So they literally sacrifice their last shirt and overcome addictions to care for their dog.
“When you love another being, you find a way to care for them. You just do it.”
Taking care of a dog gives meaning to life. Driven by care and a sense of responsibility, homeless people are focused on finding food and a warm place to sleep.
Crime goes down with dogs
Dogs also have an extremely good influence on their owners when it comes to crime.
Dr. Leslie Irvine, who focuses her research on the role of animals in society, argues that pet ownership encourages many to act responsibly.
Dogs are one of the main reasons why homeless people give up drugs and alcohol and avoid contact with drug addicts and criminals.
The main driver is the fear of being separated from your animal. Because they know that they will have to give up their dog if a prison sentence is imposed.
Unfortunately, many homeless shelters do not allow dogs. Homeless dog owners strictly reject accommodation in a home and prefer the street. “Without dog, without me!”
Crime rates, contact with criminals, and alcohol and drug abuse decrease when homeless people have dogs. Often motivated by the fear of having to give up the animal.
Dogs offer comfort
Dogs are empathetic! Studies show that dogs not only feel compassion, but also respond specifically to help or comfort their owner in need. [2]
Dogs are also loyal, do not judge their owners and provide warmth and security. In this way, dogs create security and stability, which is particularly valuable for homeless people.
For many homeless people, contact with family is difficult or completely lost. When you feel sad and lonely, dogs' empathy is valuable and provides comfort. [3]
Dogs are extremely compassionate and provide comfort in difficult life situations. In doing so, they provide comfort and emotional stability for homeless people.
Dogs satisfy the need for companionship
For many homeless people, the need for companionship is often more important than food. And caring for others strengthens our purpose in life. This is also the case for homeless dog owners.
People may not die of loneliness, but in a sense they cease to exist when they truly cut themselves off from the world. A dog changes that.
Because caring for an animal gives life meaning and a feeling of connection. Owning dogs is also attributed to a more positive self-image and self-esteem.
In one study, 74% of dog owners said their mental health improved as a result of owning their dog. [4]
Dogs are unconditionally loyal to their owners and do not judge. In doing so, they provide companionship and strengthen the purpose of life for homeless people.
Dogs are social mediators
In public, dogs serve as social mediators and promote contact between homeless people and strangers. This is how strangers feel “safer” when homeless people have a dog.
Even strangers feeding your dog becomes a social interaction and opens the door to more human contact for homeless people.
Furthermore, homeless people are neither exempt from dog tax nor do they receive any benefits from the state for the care of the animal. So a small donation helps – for people and animals!
Dogs are an interface for social interactions with people. Food donations from strangers make it easier for homeless people to come into contact with people.
Dogs offer protection
Life on the streets is particularly dangerous for women and the disabled. But homeless men also benefit from having dogs as companions.
Because life on the street is hard. Dogs offer security from other homeless people and also from violent discrimination by strangers.
Homeless people with dogs are also better protected against theft. The four-legged friend is also vigilant at night and warns his owner of impending danger. [5]
Dogs provide protection from other homeless people, violent discrimination and theft.
Summary
Homeless people keep dogs for a variety of reasons. The main motives for owning a dog are protection, companionship, comfort, life drive (meaning) and social contact with people through owning the dog.
Dogs give meaning to life and strengthen our sense of responsibility – so we take better care of our four-legged friends as well as ourselves.
Strengthened by a sense of responsibility, homeless people report their drive to find food and warm shelter. Many homeless people credit their dog with saving their lives.
Studies show that crime, contact with criminals, and drug and alcohol abuse decrease significantly when homeless people have dogs.
The main driver is the fear of being separated from your animal. Because they know that they will have to give up their dog if a prison sentence is imposed.
Dogs also show compassion and provide comfort. In this way, dogs create stability, which is particularly valuable for homeless people.
Dogs also have a major influence on self-image and self-esteem. 74% of dog owners say their mental health has improved through owning their dog.
In public, dogs are social mediators and promote human contact. So strangers feeding the dog becomes a social interaction.
Dogs also offer protection from other homeless people and also from violent discrimination and theft.
Most read articles:
- The 25 coolest inventions for dogs
- 31 original gift ideas for dog owners