Living in New York City, I walk past at least one homeless person every day with a dog by his or her side. It’s heartbreaking.

More than three million people experience homelessness every year. It’s also been estimated that 5-10% of homeless people have dogs or cats as their companions.

Though society often deems the homeless lazy and irresponsible, these days it should come as no surprise that one unfortunate circumstance can put someone out on the streets. While society ostracizes the homeless, it’s pets who can provide unconditional comfort and loyalty. Many homeless people say they would give up on life were it not for their animals. They’d sooner starve than see their pets go hungry.

Sadly, many homeless people have a hard time providing their pets with proper medical care. That’s why many awesome organizations go out on the streets and treat these animals on the spot; being forced to abandon a pet can be a major barrier to engaging the homeless into care services. Pets of the Homeless, for example, is dedicated to providing funds for food and medical care to pets of homeless people. Thanks to them, tens of thousands of pets of the homeless were successfully vaccinated and/or treated for illness or injuries, and many were spayed or neutered.

Watch the video below, created by Madi Donham, to see these heroic organizations in action, treating dogs of homeless people and helping to give their owners something to fight for.

Please SHARE this powerful video with your friends on Facebook.
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