Vet hits the streets to help the pets of the homeless
SAM Joseph was a university student when he first took to the streets with a stethoscope to find out how he could help pet dogs belonging to the homeless.
Three years on, the London-born vet’s vision to provide lifesaving treatment to the furry animals, often described as man’s best friend, has manifested from the capital’s streets into a nationwide charity, StreetVet.
The unbreakable bond between a homeless owner and their pet is one of companionship, dependence, protection and purpose, the 32-yearold told the Gazette.
After collaborating with a handful of other vets, the charity snowballed from an idea to an ambition to treat every homeless person’s dog in the country, starting from the streets of London.
After working in Ealing, Uxbridge and Richmond, the team are now planning to set up a street clinic in west London – and they are looking for location suggestions.
“How the homeless obtained veterinary care for their pets was a question I had contemplated since I was a student at vet school,” Sam explained.
“So to investigate further, I went out with my stethoscope and spoke to some homeless pet owners to see if they had any concerns about their dogs and whether they had access to help if they needed it.
“It was immediately very clear that the bond between these owners and their dogs was incredibly strong and the dogs were generally very well looked after. However, there was not a clear framework in place for these owners to access vet care when they needed it.”
After returning home from university in Bristol, Sam teamed up with other vets in London, one of which was coincidently running a similar project under the same name, and began putting a plan of action together.
It did not take long for the charity to expand from a handful of vets to more than 60 volunteers, working from seven bases in London and elsewhere, including Brighton, Cambridge and Birmingham.
The impracticalities of working on the streets has not held back the dedicated team who provide lifesaving treatment from the pavement, including clinical examinations, biopsies and vaccinations.
“At each location we run weekly stations or perform mobile outreach with the vets and nurses carrying a backpack full of medication and equipment,” Sam said.
“We like to say that anything that can be done in a veterinary consultation can be done on the street. This includes taking blood and biopsies, medicating, vaccinating, microchipping and everything involved in a complete clinical exam.
“We also provide dog food, jackets, water bowls, leads, collars, toys and more. We also help with kennelling if owners need to go to hospital and try our best to signpost owners to other services that they may benefit from such as housing advice, healthcare or legal advice.”
Dogs are notoriously lovable, however the friendship and dependence which is quickly formed between a rough sleeper and their pet often goes above and beyond that of an average owner’s.
“The bond between homeless owners and their pets is often incredibly strong and this is due to many complex and varied reasons,” Sam said.
“Companionship, protection, a reason to get up in the morning, redemption, responsibility, purpose – these are all are terms that our clients have used when describing their relationship with their dogs.
“Sometimes their dog is their only connection to the lives before homelessness, sometimes owners rescued their dogs from a much worse life and very often vice versa. When you spend 24 hours a day with your best friend, you can imagine how bonded you could become to them.
“Our volunteers are out every week without fail getting to know owners, giving advice, chatting, laughing, building friendships and helping people in need using the skill-set they have acquired.”
As well as relying on an army of hardworking volunteers, the charity has also collaborated with Streets Kitchen – an outreach programme which provides food, clothing and advice to the nation’s street.
“Streets Kitchen has years of experience working with the homeless community in London and although we knew how to be vets, very few of us had any experience working with the homeless,” Sam said.
“Streets Kitchen vouched for us among the homeless community and were key in helping us to build up trust with many of the owners that we met. We now run weekly stations alongside Streets Kitchen in multiple locations meaning that our clients are able to get themselves some food while we look after their dogs.”
StreetVet is already set up in seven areas of London, including Camden, Clapham and Finsbury Park, however it is beginning to expand into the west of the capital.
“In the past we have performed outreaches in Ealing and Richmond and have visited hostels in Uxbridge,” Sam says.
“We are looking to set up a weekly station somewhere in west London, so if anyone has any suggestions of possible locations, please let us know. With teamwork and collaboration, I think that it is entirely feasible to check over and treat every homeless person’s dog in the country and, in doing so, make a small difference to the lives of some of the country’s most vulnerable people.”
The bond between homeless owners and their pets is often incredibly strong
Sam Joseph