Multispecies Families on the Streets: The Wellbeing of Dogs and their Homeless Guardians

Michael Young and Ranjana Basu were awarded funding through a Vancouver Foundation grant to explore the wellbeing of multispecies families experiencing homelessness, to support inclusive communities.

A 2021 dog death-row case in Victoria highlighted homeless multispecies families (dog-human dyads experiencing homelessness) as families at risk. The dog in question was labelled a dangerous dog by the City of Victoria and confiscated from his homeless guardian. The case revealed a need for a greater understanding of the challenges faced by homeless multispecies families and the dogs, in particular. [Note: Homelessness can take different forms including sleeping on the streets or in nonconventional accommodation (primary homelessness); couch surfing or moving between shelters (secondary homelessness); or living longer term in boarding houses (tertiary homelessness) (Cleary et al., 2020).

The problems faced by homeless multispecies families are multifold. First, from a critical animal studies perspective, dogs are animals who are dominated by humans, leaving them subject to seizure (by animal control) and even death. Persons experiencing homelessness are low-income individuals who are marginalized based on their social class and thus have limited resources with which to advocate for their dogs or themselves. Compounding their individual oppressions, the homeless dog-human dyad is not recognized as a family, making them vulnerable to the trauma of forced separation and other harms by both social and animal services. For example, faced with the threat of separation, the person experiencing homelessness (PEH) often forgoes help, risking further harm to themselves. Another problem is that negative attitudes towards persons of low income (including PEH) can be transferred to their dogs who, then, are more likely to be seen as unruly and in need of punitive “control”. Finally,
attitudes towards PEH can also lead to confiscation of dogs out of concern for the dog’s welfare, even though recent studies show that these dogs are no less well cared for and, in some cases, better cared for than dogs living in traditional homes.

The aim of this symposium is to contribute to risk reduction and to enhance the wellbeing of these homeless multispecies families, in particular the dog member, by mobilizing knowledge regarding the nature of the multispecies family relationships in this population and implications for supportive animal control and social services’ frameworks. We will present a critical animal studies perspective that understands the experience of homeless multispecies families as influenced by the intersection of
oppressions based on species and class. This understanding recognizes animal and human oppressions as part of a matrix of oppressions. Liberation requires the dismantling of both animal and human oppression. The dog member will be in special focus here to fill a void in which attention has been paid mainly to challenges and benefits to the human. Centering only the human limits understanding of the power structures and dynamics involved in the problems outlined above and hence also limits the
potential for resolution. Adding the dog’s perspective as a family member with needs of their own deepens understanding and provides a better opportunity for enhancing the wellbeing of homeless multispecies families. The symposium, therefore, will impart an understanding of the dog-human dyad as a family and will draw special attention to the needs of the dog. It will identify gaps in meeting needs of these families as well as strategies for enhanced support. It will also point to directions for future
research.

These outcomes will be achieved through knowledge exchange between, academics, practitioners (animal welfare and advocacy, social services, animal and human healthcare, government representatives), and those with lived experience of homelessness in a multispecies family. Research knowledge will be mobilized through discussion of its application in improving practice and services. The symposium will consist of two sections. The first will include a presentation by a keynote speaker on
relevant research about dogs and homeless multispecies families, followed by small group discussions among participants about how this material applies in their work. The second section will be a panel presentation by local academics, practitioners, and those with lived experience serving or living as part of this population. This will be followed by small breakout groups that will identify potential changes that might be made in local animal and human services, as well as in municipal policy and practices, to
better serve all members of homeless multispecies families. After each of the two small group sessions, participants will present their results to the larger group where broader themes will be identified and collated. After the event, knowledge will be further mobilized through dissemination of the results of the symposium through existing channels such as relevant websites, academic publications, and printed material. More broadly, it is hoped that this symposium will contribute to the elimination of speciesism and classism and to the development of a more inclusive community.