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Homeless Men And Rescued Dogs Help Each Other Heal

First Posted: 03/27/10 06:12 AM ET Updated: 05/25/11 04:20 PM ET

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In many cities, owning a pet can hinder the homeless from finding shelter. But a new program out of Pine Street's Stapleton House, a transitional home, brings homeless men and stray dogs in a mutually beneficial relationship. The Boston Globe describes how the dogs, once considered unadoptable because of their abusive pasts, help the men to build trust and open up about their lives, allowing the staff to give them the psychiatric help that the men need.

Specialists have long been providing dogs to other needy members of society, including inmates, parolees and people having difficulty coping with grief or loneliness. Yet pairing dogs with the homeless is new, and Stapleton House is proving that the idea can help out both dogs and men, who despite the difference in their species have a lot in common through their histories of isolation and abuse.


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Change.org reports that a similar program is showing success in New Mexico, where the Santa Fe Humane Society brings rescued dogs to a shelter for homeless and runaway teens.

For the full story, visit The Boston Globe.

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In many cities, owning a pet can hinder the homeless from finding shelter. But a new program out of Pine Street's Stapleton House, a transitional home, brings homeless men and stray dogs in a mutually...
In many cities, owning a pet can hinder the homeless from finding shelter. But a new program out of Pine Street's Stapleton House, a transitional home, brings homeless men and stray dogs in a mutually...
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Tulka2
Solidarity. Courage. Humor.
2099 Fans
05:51 PM on 01/27/2010
You think it's an accident dog is god spelled backwards? No accident.
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juliebj
3 Fans
11:23 PM on 01/28/2010
You are so right.
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bebopman21
561 Fans
03:51 AM on 01/26/2010
Of course, it's a wonderful idea. I've always thought it a shame that homeless shelters usually don't allow homeless folks to bring their pets into the shelters. Many of those folks just end up sleeping outside in horrible weather. I can understand where shelters might worry about sanitation or aggressive dogs, but there could be a place in shelters to secure the dogs. For a lot of folks, their pets are a big part of what keeps them going.
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juliebj
3 Fans
11:25 PM on 01/28/2010
I agree with you. For many, pets are the only ones who they completely trust, and don't hurt them. For those with PTSD and/or depression, animals can help them cope better.
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QueenCeleste
36 Fans
09:06 PM on 01/25/2010
A wonderful program. Animals help children in hospitals and the elderly in nursing homes, so this is a logical step of those humane programs. Dogs (and cats) bring so much comfort to man and they ask so little in return.
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