PETA fights program to have public housing people foster dogs (veterinarian, training)

[no kudzu]

PETA Fights Program Pairing Panhandlers With Dogs - ABC News

[ReturningWest]

Sigh...I won't tell you what I think of peta, it'd get me banned from CD. However, it sounds like a wonderful program and I hope it works out. I wonder if peta protests all the dogs that now go to prisons for re-training.

[Happy in Wyoming]

I don't give a fig for the people in this program; my concern is for the welfare of the dogs. This program would need constant and very careful monitoring. That's why prison programs for dogs and horses are workable. But many people are bounced from prison horse programs because they're caught abusing animals. I'm only familiar with one prison program for training dogs. That's in a women's prison in Montana.

I know that I wouild never let the "homeless" be alone with my pets. Think about that and ask yourself if you would.

I'm glad that PETA gave this issue publicity. That should increase monitoring. PETA isn't always right but their intentions are always the best.

[no kudzu]

I do not think PETA's intentions are the best. They would rather kill pets than almost any program which could prolong life. Remember they are against people keeping animals as pets.

and don't forget how a pet can enrich the lives of the foster parents as well. They are no longer homeless and with support and training and supervision it sounds like a win win situation for everybody involved.

[Happy in Wyoming]

Originally Posted by no kudzu

I do not think PETA's intentions are the best. They would rather kill pets than almost any program which could prolong life. Remember they are against people keeping animals as pets.

and don't forget how a pet can enrich the lives of the foster parents as well. They are no longer homeless and with support and training and supervision it sounds like a win win situation for everybody involved.

I know what PETA says officially but every member of PETA I've known (and that's a bunch) has a house full of rescues.

[eevee]

I don't see the issue here. Most homeless people who find themselves in such housing typically have caseworkers checking up on them and they are required to keep themselves healthy (e.g., take meds, therapy, etc). A lot of homeless people are animal lovers too, many living on the streets with their pets or taking care of strays. I think this program would be highly beneficial for any homeless person needing an emotional hold on their new life (many don't have close families to lean on and having a pet, even if it's just a foster, can be a boon for them).

Not everyone who is homeless is schizo or a drug addict. Heck, I was homeless myself once upon a time. This recession has made things worse. It's not as if this program will be placing dogs in homes w/ paroled animal abusers and deranged killers.

Frankly, I think PETA should be the last people to talk about treatment of dogs considering the multiple reports that have surfaced of them euthanizing dogs and the fact that they don't even believe that dogs should be pets in the first place.

[skelaki]

PETA"S intentions are NEVER the best. But I will say this particular program would seem to not be the best idea primarily due to the difficulty in supervising a homeless person who's fostering a dog.

[Sam I Am]

Supervision - the system is grossly understaffed and overworked as it is - one PETA person said these dogs are supposedly unadoptable...why? Age or temperament? If it's temperament issues, then no - not unless that particular homeless person had experience with training of some sort - you could just make a bad situation worse.

The social workers don't even have enough time to attend to the people issues, now we're going to throw a dog into the mix? I'd think the homeless have enough to work on without worrying about their pets.

I don't mean to sound biased against the homeless who are trying to get back on their feet, but sometimes that means taking a job, any job, working extra hours, etc. Who will tend to the pet at home, who will take the dog to the veterinarian if it is sick? The homeless often don't own cars, and public transportation might or might not be an answer. And......maybe it's crazy......but why not cats? Cats are pretty self-sufficient on their own and don't have to be walked or taken out to go to the bathroom.

I'd hope this is a staged process, that only those who are just about ready to break out and be back on their own again and have shown some level of responsibility and commitment to the process would be considered. I'm sure there's more to the story, but on the surface I can think of about a dozen reasons that this may not be well thought out.

[cittic10]

Hmmm..
A homeless dude and a dog living on park benches, spending every waking minute together, walking miles a day and eating out of dumpsters (a dogs dream come true when you think about it)
Or..
Dogs die and get a one-way ticket to the landfill courtesy of PeTA and whatever shopping center who's dumpster is used to dump all the dead dogs.

I wonder what the dogs would chose.

[suzy_q2010]

I think the title to the article is misleading. the foster dogs are going to people who were formerly homeless but now live in subsidized housing. They are not living on the street.