On the way home yesterday from the rehab center stop to get a coffee and gas. On the side of the station I seen a group of homeless guys. They were drinking and smoking like most do. I didn't make much of it until I seen something that just struck me the wrong way. The one guy had a dog I thought that's not a good idea at all. While I was pumping my gas a million thoughts went through my head. Is it right for this guy to have a dog? I'm thinking no it's not right but then I thought well this dog keeps him company at night maybe even protects him at night even keeps him warm. Still I can't get out of my head this dog being hungry while this guy is just worried about getting his next bottle of booze. Does he use this dog to con people out of money? So many thoughts going through my head.
I went in to get my coffee and I seen some friend chicken sitting in the warmer so I got a couple pieces (I know a double edge knife I'm playing with but the chicken already cooked) I paid for my stuff went back outside pulled my truck out of the way and walked over to where theses guys were and the dog started barking at me. They all looked at me like I was gonna go off or something I open the box took the chicken out and tossed it over to the dog. He gulped it down like no tomorrow the owner of the dog said what about me? I stood there for a second looked at him and said shame on you for even having a dog and what about you get a job that's what about you. Course he told me to fuck off and worse but least that dog didn't go to sleep hungry last night.
Question is this should homeless people have pets?
I went in to get my coffee and I seen some friend chicken sitting in the warmer so I got a couple pieces (I know a double edge knife I'm playing with but the chicken already cooked) I paid for my stuff went back outside pulled my truck out of the way and walked over to where theses guys were and the dog started barking at me. They all looked at me like I was gonna go off or something I open the box took the chicken out and tossed it over to the dog. He gulped it down like no tomorrow the owner of the dog said what about me? I stood there for a second looked at him and said shame on you for even having a dog and what about you get a job that's what about you. Course he told me to fuck off and worse but least that dog didn't go to sleep hungry last night.
Question is this should homeless people have pets?
Only if they can feed them.
Most homeless people aren't starving. They manage to get enough food to survive. We don't know how long the guy had had the dog, but obviously the dog was getting fed.
My answer to your question is, "Yes." The pet keeps them company, enables them to give and receive love. And I think you owe that guy an apology for making some hasty assumptions without really knowing the facts. You probably won't have a chance to deliver it in person, but you still owe it.
naturgesetz,
you have a right to your opinion that's why i publish your comment but i disagree with you. first off you miss the point by a mile there was a group of them 6 of them sitting drinking the key word is drinking. the other point is the dog snag up the food like it was his last meal and that told me he was hungry. i didn't say he was starving if he look like he did trust me i would have called animal services. so i say i owe this guy nothing he owes me a thank you but i didn't get that all he was worried about was where his was and where his next beer is coming from. now if that pisses you off im sorry but im about tired of theses homeless people standing on the fucking corners begging for money and im gonna do a post on it now.
I agree with Carl. I hate to think of any domesticated animal starving. Wild animals can survive on their own. Domesticaed pets depend on us for food, water and shelter.
I know where I live most of the homeless that are on the corners arent homeless. The reason we know this is they got caught on cameras being dumped off from other cities around the state and they got followed home to some damn nice houses.
That is a two edged sword with them owning dogs. I hate so see animals that have been pets go hungry if there owner is truely homeless. In that case they need to find a way to provide for the animal or find someone that can.
When the guy said, "What about me," he wasn't asking for booze, he was asking for food. He's as entitled to eat as his dog is. Yeah, he should have thanked you for feeding his dog, but I still think you had no business lighting into him for having the dog.
naturgesetz,
i understand where you would think that when he ask "what about me" first off you wasn't there so don't know how the guy said it. second off if he was so worried about eating why not buy food instead of beer? i mean if i was hungry had a few bucks to my name i sure wouldn't buy beer. see the point?
I feel like it is a very mixed subject in my mind.
I mean a million questions go through my head when you ask that.
If I knew all the details, and maybe more, than I could make a proper informed opinion. Since I am not able to do that, I am unable to come to an honest conclusion.
I would also like to know if it is easy for you to find a job, even in fast food, smelling of your own fecal matter, and body odor? I know most people believe that all homeless people do is drink and such, but having volunteered at my local soup kitchen for years, I do know that they have serious problems(obviously) that they would love help to overcome, but how are to do it when no one will give them any form of chance, and only assume they are looking for their next drink?
naturgesetz,
for the record i see your point about me cutting into him about having the dog but i have to stand up for what i believe and if he cant take care of it then yes shame on him for having it. read my post again i was tore over this.
Travis,
thanks for stopping in and for your comment. i agree with you and i also and my family have volunteered at soup kitchen here in georgia and florida and have help many shelters also. i also agree that some of the reasons these people are homeless have problems and they need help. but some choose the bottle as there way out and i just dont think its fair to bring an animal into this kind of world. this why i had many questions in my head and i guess i needed to word my post better but i do understand somewhat the company the love the warm at night a dog can bring but i still ask if its fair to the animal?
I'm in two minds on this issue. When I first moved to this city there was an elderly gentleman who was homeless because when his wife died his whole world went wrong and he pretty well lost everything. He used to sit outside my local Tesco reading Nietzsche and beside him on an old blanket would be his very old and very lovable dog, his only companion. If someone gave him money his first act was to go into the store and buy food for the dog, he himself came second. He was a quite wonderful man and I've had some very rewarding conversations with him about very complex areas of philosophy, of which he had been a teacher at one time and in which he held a PhD. I would think it an act of cruelty to deprive him of his treasured companion.
Against that I've seen other people who use their dogs as begging accomplices and who shouldn't be allowed to have them.
I guess what I'm saying is that there isn't a simple answer to this question but I do understand and respect your feelings
Love
Mac
I hope it was boneless chicken...I know you know not to give dogs chicken bones!
I was thinking the same thing. Hollow chicken bones can pierce a dogs intestines. Ryan said they was smoking too. I say quit smoking and use the money to buy dogfood. I saw a guy the other day begging for money he had a hat with coins in it in one hand and was on his cell phone in his other hand. I don't even have a cell phone. Ed
I really am torn both ways about this... For one thing, every animal has the right to food, and it is the owners responsability to give it what it needs, but on the other hand, what if the dog does help him and keep him warm? Or maybe the dog was already homeless, then the man found him. The man was probably doing his best to keep him safe. And he could have possably not wanted to give the dog away to a good owner because maybe he didn't know any, or he didn't trust the shelters to not put the dog down. I think the fact that the dog ate greedily doesn't count for much though, because what dog wouldn't if a piece of chicken was thrown it's way? Was the dog thin, though?
I really think it could go either way, but the owner should be able to take at least semi-good care of the animal. But I don't know. ha
love,
ittyK
well, that is a tough question
to answer...I think yes and no...
sometimes people don't want to part
with their animals for fear of them
being put to sleep or worse them
not going to a good home...There
have been several homeless people
who do not want money for themself
but would love to have some food
for their pet...Then you see the
ones like you saw and you think
HELLS NO! that person should be
shot for getting his drink and
smokes before getting anything for
his dog...maybe you should go back
to that guy and see if you could
buy the dog from him for like
$20 dollars...or just get a bag
of dog food for it...who knows...
MISS YOU!!!
Love,
Laurie
Ryan, your heart is in the right place. Nobody can argue that.
Jus a thought, maybe the dog... adopted the human???
Ryan,
I am glad you got back to my comment. feeling kind of special. lol.
You are totally invited to my bday party, but idk how you can make it up to michigan. its a bit of a drive to just party. lol
Hey, do you live anywhere near a place called Guyton(i think thats it)?
This is about the dog.
Visit "Feeding Pets of the Homeless" and read about the plight of these companion pets.