Cornwall Street Vet Charity supports pets of those facing homelessness
They're calling for homeless hostels and temporary accommodation to be more accessible for pets
Last updated 4th Dec 2024
Cornwall's Street Vet charity are calling for more homeless hostels, temporary accommodation and day centres become accessible to all that need them.
The charity have been hosting an outreach event in Truro today (Wednesday 4 December).
For those facing homelessness with their pet this Christmas, the charity are warning many will spend the festive period constantly looking for places to stay in the form of temporary or emergency accommodation.
According to new research by Tails.com, over two-thirds (64%) agree that a dog can act as a lifeline, providing emotional and mental health support, warmth, and companionship, making it crucial to ensure that owners and pets are not separated.
With only 10% of homeless hostels in the UK willing to take in individuals and their pets, many face a tough choice this winter: a roof over their head or sleeping rough to remain with their pet companion. For those who choose to remain with their pet rather than take a room without them, they are currently marked “voluntarily homeless”. Such is the bond between our pets and owners, the decision to stay with their pet rather than take shelter is one that 42% of Brits say they’d make.
"We treat all companion animals"
Zoe Abbots, CEO of Cornwall branch, said: "For people experiencing homelessness, they may have just come into homelessness and with that they may have cats, rabbits, dogs, guinea pigs, budgies, and we support any animal that comes our way.
"We are quite busy. Last year we did 450 consults, which is seeing multiple pets multiple times, regulars and lots of new people."
The issue of homelessness is growing across the UK. Latest ONS figures show that over 350,000 households contacted their local authority for support after being threatened with homelessness or losing their home in 2023-24, up more than 10% in a year.
Now, data highlights how more than 3 in 5 people (64%) in the UK are of the opinion that not enough is being done to support those who find themselves homeless, with just under three quarters of Brits (72%) acknowledging that people can become homeless through no fault of their own.
Although there is a groundswell of support, with 62% saying that more hostels across the UK should accommodate pets, it remains a growing problem. Now, schemes like the StreetVet Hostel Accreditation have been created to alleviate the issue. In the past year, the charity has more than doubled the amount of pets it has helped, across 37 accredited hostels in the UK.
This month, StreetVet is taking part in the Big Give's Christmas Challenge, which launches at midday on Tuesday 3rd December, #GivingTuesday, and runs until midday on the 10th of December. No matter the size of the gift, every £1 donated to StreetVet will be doubled whilst match funds last.