Herts homeless charity say pet owners should be welcomed where possible
A homing charity for rough sleepers are taking steps to ensure residents who own pets are welcomed with their animals
The housing charity Emmaus is amongst a small number of accommodation centres welcoming pets and their owners.
Earlier this week, a report from StreetVet, a veterinary service for the homeless, revealed that less than 20% of hostels across the UK allow pets in their centres.
At Emmaus, an interview system evaluates the needs of each individual prior to housing to ensure they get on with the rest of the community.
The same system applies for those who turn up with pets, who are often their only companion and vital to their wellbeing.
Chief Executive of the charity's branch in Hertfordshire, Duncan Lewis, said: "With both the people and the pets I guess the same rules apply, which is that if they are able to cope with community living, which isn't for everybody, then we would absolutely welcome them."
"We would understand if we weren't able to take both person and pet, that a person might decide Emmaus wasn't the right place for them."
"Anybody who is homeless would have experienced some sort of trauma, and that would be things such as relationships breakdown, loss of employment, sadly abuse, bereavement..."
The centre in Hertfordshire benefits from surrounding nature and activities available to both the people and their pets.
"We've got some gardens here, we're very lucky, but how big are they, how active a pet is it, how much exercise do they need, how social are they with other people and with the other animals that live in the community?", added Mr Lewis.
Through their service, they offer shelter to rough sleepers for as long as needed, in exchange for work in their second-hand shops.
The idea is to help them gain back their independence and open doors to employment and housing.
Mr Lewis said: "Anybody who is homeless would have experienced some sort of trauma, and that would be things such as relationships breakdown, loss of employment, sadly abuse, bereavement, there are a whole pile of different things that can affect anybody at any time which can lead to homelessness."
For more information on the charity, you can visit their website.