ABSTRACT

Homelessness is a pervasive social issue worldwide. In the UK, it is currently estimated that one in two hundred people are homeless, approximating 0.5% of the population. Pet ownership among this group is thought to be commonplace and has been linked with a range of human health and social benefits. These include amelioration of loneliness, isolation and depression and reduction in suicidal thoughts, substance misuse and criminal activity. However, pet ownership has also been suggested to perpetuate homelessness by restricting access to support services, especially housing. This study aimed to explore the nature of the Human–Companion Animal Bond (H-CAB) between UK homeless owners and their dogs, and to document the implications of this bond for the health and welfare of both parties. Twenty homeless or vulnerably housed dog owners were recruited to participate in semi-structured interviews consisting of open and closed questions. These were recorded, transcribed and subjected to thematic analysis. Major emergent themes included participants’ descriptions of their pets as kin; the responsibility they felt towards their pet; and anticipatory grief when contemplating a future without their companion animal. Importantly, the analysis also suggests the importance of a mutual rescue narrative, whereby pet owners felt that they had rescued their dogs from a negative situation, and vice-versa. However, participants also described being refused access to services, frequently on account of their desire not to relinquish their pet. Indeed, given their description of their pets as family members, participants expressed frustration that this relationship was not considered as being of worthy of preservation by homelessness services. This study has highlighted some important features of the H-CAB between homeless owners and their dogs, not previously characterized in the UK. It also highlights the importance of empowering support services to accept pets where feasible, and thus preserve and enhance the benefits of pet ownership in this vulnerable population.

摘要

无家可归是世界范围内普遍存在的社会问题。在英国，目前估计有200人无家可归，约占人口的0.5％。人们认为，在这个群体中养宠物是很平常的事，并与一系列人类健康和社会效益联系在一起。这些包括减轻孤独感，孤立和沮丧以及减少自杀念头，滥用药物和犯罪活动。但是，也有人建议限制拥有支持服务，特别是住房，以使拥有宠物永久化无家可归。这项研究旨在探讨英国无家可归者与他们的狗之间人与动物的动物纽带（H-CAB）的性质，并记录这种纽带对双方健康和福祉的影响。招募了20个无家可归者或弱势屋主，以参加由开放式和封闭式问题组成的半结构化访谈。这些被记录，转录并进行主题分析。主要的紧急主题包括参与者对他们的宠物的亲属描述。他们对宠物的责任感；在没有伴侣动物的情况下考虑未来时充满了期待和悲伤。重要的是，该分析还表明了相互营救叙事的重要性，宠物主人认为宠物营救员是从不利的情况下救出了他们的狗，反之亦然。但是，参加者还描述了由于不愿放弃自己的宠物而经常被拒绝提供服务的情况。确实，鉴于他们将宠物描述为家庭成员，参与者对这种关系被无家可归者服务认为不值得保留感到沮丧。这项研究突出了无家可归的主人和他们的狗之间的H-CAB的一些重要特征，这在英国以前是没有的。它还强调了在可行的情况下赋予支持服务以接受宠物的能力的重要性，从而保留并增强了该脆弱人群的宠物拥有权。