Dogs providing lifeline to homeless women aiming to rebuild life
Angela Johnson and Leah Palmer are staying at Alabaré Place in Salisbury - one of few services allowing dogs to stay with owners
Two homeless women in Salisbury have told us how being able to keep their dog with them in supported accommodation is boosting their ability to rebuild their lives.
Angela Johnson and Leah Palmer are currently living at Alabaré Place in the city, having found themselves without a home.
Few charities take people with pets, meaning many opt to stay on the streets as they are unwilling to part with their four-legged friend.
Angela, who spent two years sleeping rough alongside her pet, Poppydog, said she'd provided her a lifeline.
"She was just company," Angela said. "She keeps me warm and safe because you have something else to look after and listen out for.
"I was sleeping with one eye open half the time because I didn't want somebody to come and take the dog."
She added that caring for her dog helped her own mental health as she was forced to focus on ensuring Poppydog stayed healthy, while her spirits were kept up with Poppydog's own excitement at seeing her, even if it was simply waking up from a sleep.
Leah told us that before moving to Alabaré Place, her depression as "taking over", but now that her and Lola have safe shelter, things have improved.
"I felt so lonely at nights, but with her here now, she's boosted it up," she said. "She's that little companion, she's my best friend, so having her here at nights is just amazing."
Both Angela and Leah spoke of the difficulty in finding somewhere to stay as a dog owner.
"It's a bit of a nightmare, to be fair, because most landlords won't take dogs and there was no way I was getting rid of my dog," Angela said.
Leah added: "It's getting harder and harder, even in the private sector, they won't even consider pets anymore, and if they do, they're like adding on extra fees.
"So, it's really difficult trying to find a property or even a shared property that will even consider a dog."
Why Alabaré welcomes four-legged friends
The charity, which supports rough sleepers across the South West and Wales, says it understands how important a dog can be to someone who finds themselves on the street.
Alabaré's Faye Tryhorn told us that it can be a barrier to people accessing support because they're worried about what will happen to their pet.
She said: "Having them together is just a really important way of making sure that the person gets the help as much as the dog does because they're both homeless."
She added that for people staying in their services across the region, having their dog with them gives them purpose, allowing them to positively engage with support offered to them, as well as boosting their mental health, with pets providing something to offload to and a stable presence in their life.
The charity works with the Dogs Trust, which has certified Alabaré Place as "dog friendly", ensuring that pups are being well looked after, as well as helping provide access to vetinary care.
Abigail Owens, from the Dogs Trust, said: "we don't think that anyone should have to choose between, you know, essential services and their faithful friend and that's why we work with providers to successfully offer dog-friendly support.
"Keeping people and their pets together, not only preserves that human-animal bond through very difficult times, but it also keeps their dogs happy and also keeps the relationship really strong."