IT’S A DOG’S LIFE
WRITTEN BY SARAH HAYNES
As the winter nights draw in and it’s dark before you’ve even left the office, you might be groaning inwardly as you contemplate your commute home during the rush hour. But it’s that word, ‘home’, that should give you pause for thought. Sadly, even though we are rapidly approaching 2020, there are still an estimated 11,000 dogs on the streets of London who are strays with no home to go to, or which belong to homeless people who have no regular, reliable shelter. These are creatures which are human-dependant, without our input they would struggle to survive – especially in the cold. So it’s totally understandable that people are desperate to help in any way they can; in which way do you think you could offer support to make dogs’ lives dramatically improved this winter? As you can imagine, every dog wants to be healthy, happy, warm and fed, and making that happen could be more simple than you think.

Educate yourself. Learn about what resources for helping are available in your area. Research them, learn what they can offer. People talk about ‘just take it to a shelter’, but almost invariably these shelters are overrun and under-funded, so it’s important that you know what you might be introducing the dog to. Sadly, some of the more well-known animal shelters have a policy of euthanasia once their number exceeds its limit. There’s no blame to be attributed here, rather careful consideration of the circumstances that led to this situation, and how we can adopt a ‘prevention rather than cure’ approach. If we stop it at source, then it follows naturally that the available help in its different formats can be distributed to help even more animals who need it.

That said, re-homing isn’t always possible or appropriate. Many of the dogs shivering on the street this winter belong to homeless people, and they are often one of the only sources of comfort for their owners and it’s simply not an option to take them away. The easiest way to make a difference is to donate money. But if you are cash-poor and time-rich, then there are other ways you can help. You could consider volunteering for a charity like DOTS (Dogs On The Streets) that relies on outside support to make the maximum difference that they can. There are a few mobile services that operate weekly ‘stations’ where dogs and their owners can access first line care with things like veterinary care, from vets and vet nurses, they can be made more comfortable by groomers and there are often behaviourists and dog trainers who can help keep the dog happy as well as healthy. If you have any spare time to offer, even a small amount will make a massive difference to animals living on the streets, so do contact them to see where you could help

Though donating money remains the number one choice of charity supporters, there is also a large demand for the essential items themselves to be bought. Things like leads, collars, dog food, bedding, coats – all of which will make a massive difference to the lives of dogs on the streets. It also cuts out the middle man, making it a more cost-effective approach. When you find yourself in a pet shop or supermarket, think about picking up some small bits to donate; easy for you but very difficult for dog charities to have reliable access to.

However you choose to help, it’s guaranteed that your help will be of enormous benefit to dogs on the streets this winter.