The Street Dog Coalition: Providing Compassionate Care And Advocacy For Both Ends Of The Leash

WHY IT MATTERS

The Street Dog Coalition: Providing Compassionate Care typographic title

members of the Street Dog Coalition looking at a small dog

man laying on a sleeping bag with his dog; white and brown dog wearing a red harness

And Advocacy For Both Ends Of The Leash typographic title

By Katrina Weschler

Photos provided by The Street Dog Coalition

“D

ewey is my ultimate advocate. He means everything to me and I make sure he’s taken care of. If he’s warm and happy, then I’m warm and happy,” shares Cody, a young man experiencing homelessness in Colorado who has received services for his dog, Dewey, from The Street Dog Coalition.

The Street Dog Coalition (SDC) is an international nonprofit founded in Fort Collins, CO in 2015, which now has over sixty teams across the country and in Ukraine, providing free medical care and related services to pets of people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness. Entirely volunteer driven, SDC cares for both the pet and the person at their far-reaching pop-up street clinics.

member of the Street Dog Coalition holding a cat

The Street Dog Coalition’s work starts with active listening. This is a fundamental component of their four core values, which are: Trust, Unconditional Love, Compassionate Activism, and Unbridled Collaboration.

Living a nomadic life on the street is an informed decision made by some, but for many, it is not a choice. Living on the street can be dangerous, lonely and taxing—socially, emotionally and physically—especially when there is little to no access to care. Understandably, people experiencing homelessness with companion animals describe their pets as a source of unconditional love, comfort, safety, support, motivation to reduce substance use, and even to continue living.

members of the Street Dog Coalition looking at multiple dogs; person holding two puppies side by side

Many people experiencing, or at-risk of, homelessness do not need rescuing and neither do their pets. Instead of assuming what’s best for them or their companion animal, they recommend acknowledging their humanity, having empathy for their situation, advocating for access to care and shelter, and connecting them with services such as those offered by The Street Dog Coalition (which includes primarily preventative veterinary care such as physical exams, core vaccinations, parasite control, spay/neuter vouchers, pet food, etc.).

Trust: Trust is the foundation of this organization. They strive to authentically connect and build trust with everyone they work with and everyone they meet, on both ends of the leash.

Unconditional Love: Everything they do is done with love and kindness, without judgment or conditions.

Compassionate Activism: They seek the courage to “swim upstream” and always do the right thing.

Unbridled Collaboration: SDC’s work cannot be done in a silo. They rely on supporters and community partners to help the organization think outside the box, complement existing resources, establish trust, walk-the-talk and deliver accessible, quality care through tailored delivery models.

The pets that the volunteers meet at the street clinics are incredibly loved, well cared for and prioritized above all else. Their owners will give up their food so they eat first, and will forgo shelter if they cannot bring their pet with them. For those with limited resources, providing for another living being has intense meaning. Providing for pets maintains purpose and routine, which can be essential for coping with the aforementioned hardships faced when experiencing homelessness. Although having a pet makes it harder to secure consistent housing, this hardship does not outweigh the other benefits pets offer.

That said, unhoused individuals should not have to make the impossible decision between having a roof over their head or staying with their beloved pet. This is why The Street Dog Coalition is endorsing the Providing for Unhoused People with Pets (PUPP) Act. If passed, the bill will establish a grant program administered by USDA. Funds will help local governments and nonprofit organizations that provide shelter or permanent supportive housing to retrofit property to accommodate unhoused individuals with pets, while also providing additional veterinary services, including spaying and neutering, vaccinations and other basic medical procedures.

woman taking a knee next to her small dog

When life is a struggle, transitionally or day to day, the human-animal bond becomes all the more important, so ensuring the ongoing health of each companion is paramount. The Street Dog Coalition advocates and acts with compassion because they understand how the wellbeing of a person and the wellbeing of a pet are inextricably linked; when one is taken care of or neglected, the other will be affected. As the organization continues to grow, they hope to offer more One Health services to pet parents as a result of collaborating with existing human healthcare and social service organizations.

The Street Dog Coalition’s sustainable growth is made possible thanks to generous volunteers, donors and sponsors, including their Legacy Sponsors, Merck Animal Health and Western Veterinary Partners. They also couldn’t do this work without community partners who are equally committed to collaborating and protecting the human-animal bond by caring for both the pet and the person.

If you’re interested in being a part of The Street Dog Coalition by volunteering, donating and/or advocating for both ends of the leash, please visit their website, www.thestreetdogcoalition.org

They also couldn’t do this work without community partners who are equally committed to collaborating and protecting the human-animal bond by caring for both the pet and the person.

Katrina holds a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology with a certificate in Markets & Management from Duke University. While attaining her master’s degree from the LEAP Institute at Colorado State University in 2018, she started volunteering with The Street Dog Coalition and quickly became invested in its mission and vision. As the Executive Director, she has put her 10+ years of nonprofit management experience to work building SDC’s organizational infrastructure and has enjoyed helping SDC grow into an international nonprofit with teams in 60+ cities and Ukraine.

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