what woud you do?

[jhale]

While walking home from dinner tonight I passed a homeless person with a dog. In my years of living in the city I have developed a certain level of immunity to seeing people on the street, there are some homeless people that I see on a regular basis and give money to. When there are animals involved it hits me pretty hard. In this case the homeless person looked like a young 20 something who was really in bad shape. I could not tell if it was a man or women, they were camped out on 14th street / broadway, the dog was a healthy looking boxer, or a mix breed that looked like a boxer. At the time I saw them there were people crowded around giving them money. I noticed the homeless person was not even looking up, and I could not tell if it was because they did not want to, or due to some worse reason. The dog was half covered by a blanket and was very alert, looking at all the people walking by, he looked happy but kind of nervous.
I did not know what to do. It did not look like the person was going to be able to take care of the dog properly. I have called for help in the past when I saw a woman on the street with a baby, but I was hesitant to do so for a person with an animal. I'm afraid that if the dog is taken to a city shelter it would be put down.
Does anyone know what laws protect and or helps animals in this case? I'm pretty sure that city shelters do not allow animals inside, so if the person stays with the animal, the animal suffers along with the person when it's cold out.
I'm feeling pretty depressed over the situation, I saw this hours ago and know I will be worrying about that dog now. I do have sympathy for the person, but to me the animal has it worse. They can't go out and change their life to make it better. They are dependent on the person they are with, and if that person can't provide for them, well that just sucks.
Any help or suggestions will be [SIZE=-1]appriciated[/SIZE], I'm pretty sure they will be in the same place for a while, it did not look like they were moving any time soon. Sometimes I hate NY, this is one of those times.

 

[duke62]

leave it alone.listen that is probably the only friend that poor guy has.im sure he tries everything to protect his dog.hate to say this and i mean it in no disrespect but its none of your business.leave the poor guy alone and let him lead his life.its is a sad situation more the the man than the dog.and if you really care for dogs give money to your local shelter to help the other dogs out there a chance.sure many dogs do get put down but donations help many others find a good home for homeless animals.just imagine how you would feel if someone took your friend away from u.and like you said the dog was healthy looking so it shows he is trying to a be good provider for his friend.just my opinion take it or not.

 

[Hitsnorth]

The SPCA handles abuse of dogs. If he gets sent to a shelter and has a dog they would call them.

My opinion is leave him alone and instead of giving the guy money go to petco in union square buy some dog food and give it to him. Duke is probably right that dog is that guys only friend and he probably treats that dog better then himself.

 

[jhale]

Guys, I understand and agree about the bond with the dog.

I have seen other homeless people in the past with animals who appear capable of caring for the animals with them. In this case the person did not look very well. Perhaps they needed more help than the dog does. I'm going to do some research today and see if there are organizations that help people in need with animals.

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

Jon I know what you are saying, I also know how you feel in this instance I see things like this all the time. Sick people, with animals homeless on the streets, I have also called for the morgue for people like this and attempted to find shelter for the animals. In all it is a good idea however, anyone that you call is going to separate the man from his dog and send the man to the hospital or worse a shelter and the dog is gonna go to CACC or another organization like that and the dog will be put down in 24 hours if nobody adopts it.

It is sad I know but that's what will happen, I have found no other way to handle a situation like that.

 

[DEEPWATER]

I agree with duke on this one ,taking the dog away from the homeless person may make him/her worse do to the fact they may depend on the animal for confort and such .also the dog may just stay alive with the homeless person .then going to a shelter .
If the dog is heathly chances are the dog is eatting well ,maybe ppl give them both food .best thing you can do is give both of them some food when you see them .be thats just me

Ronen

It would be like taking your cats away from you

 

[DEEPWATER]

Guys, I understand and agree about the bond with the dog.

I have seen other homeless people in the past with animals who appear capable of caring for the animals with them. In this case the person did not look very well. Perhaps they needed more help than the dog does. I'm going to do some research today and see if there are organizations that help people in need with animals.

that may be a problem ,the person being sick or not well enuff to care for the dog .

good luck with the search ,try to see if they are still in the same spot as laste night

 

[ellebelle]

Poor puppy. I should say though - if the dog were to be taken to a shelter, there are a lot of organizations out there that will take in any adoptable dogs before they are put down.

 

[LeslieS]

JH, that totally sucks. If the person had lots of piercings, I have seen them by the Union Square Pet Co before. That particular dog looked in good shape, and I think it gets perks because the adoption people are on that corner every once in a while.

Don't let the bad NY stuff get you down. I know you recently had the shooting in your neighborhood, but bad things happen everywhere. There are just more of us here so it is easier to see them. Remember that there are a lot of good things and good organizations here that wouldn't even exist to help people in other places. If you seen them again, I am sure there are some things to help the dog that the kid cannot provide like a flea collar or some dewormer.

 

[jackson6745]

Turn your head the other way. "Helping" will kill the dog.

 

[NYreefNoob]

homeless

ya know for all you know the guy is a millionaire. there is 2 men in indianapolis, where i am from, that are millionaire's. 1 guy was a huge stock broker's had a break down and has been living on the street's since. has a empty mansion { stupid } second guy was in vietnam gets a huge monthly check for losing his legs and sits on a skate board collecting change and money. the new's interviewed him once and he said he makes between 2-5k a week in change from people. if the dog was that healthy the guy\girl probably found it wondering. probably belong's to someone else. im a true believer in you choose your path and end at the destination you choose to be at.

 

[crox99]

the new's interviewed him once and he said he makes between 2-5k a week in change from people.

I guess there are a lot of generous people in Indy.

 

[daisy]

...so in my studies, one of the things we talk about is homeless people and what they really "need"

and it's not up to us to determine what they "need." If you can give, then you should give. It is up to the recepient to determine what he needs. The fact that this person had a dog tells you a few things -- he knows how to see to at least one of his needs -- a dog loves his master pretty much no matter what, and I agree that this man probably treats the dog better than he treats himself - the dog is a good reason for the man to make it, not to give up.

Whatever you can give is a blessing, but the truth is the hardest and best thing to give is whatever you can combined with an open heart and a kind word - a conversation, something that can make this person feel like a human being.

I love and hate NYC not because there are homeless people, but because I can't save them and since I can't save them, I want to turn my face and not see them, but then I hate myself. I can't do it. So even when I have no change in my pocket, I meet their eye, I say I'm sorry and God bless, and if I have time, I stop and talk for a bit. And if I have money, I give it with a smile.

It's all about caring. Clearly you care - don't be afraid to show that care. It will mean the world one day and you won't know it, and that's the way it is.

Thanks so much for sharing this with all of us!

-Daisy

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

Ya know, my take on this thread is the concern for the dog not the person. In my line of work and dealing with the homeless on many many many different levels I can say this. Never give them money. NEVER! If you want to give them something give them food, bottled water, blankets and clothes. I even frown upon giving them these things because you never know how they are gonna react.

Every once in a while I have to deal with people who do midnight runs and usually my dealings with them is because they were robbed by the people they were helping. One instance a girl was sexually assaulted. Keep this in mind.

The dog at it's worst will only bite you, that will heal with some time and some shots, give him some kibble or some steak every once in a while and he'll be fine and when the person he lives with dies, he will move on to another person who will take care of it. The dog is more street smart than most people keep in mind too LOL.

 

[JHOV2324]

Yeah leave the dude be....if that dog didnt' want to be there it would leave....he has to be feeding it.....and you know what else....if you see someone homeless and you second thought on giving them money dont cause what do you expect them to do...save it....go buy a wallunit...if they use it for food that is whats expected and what it should be going to but if they want a beer or too get high so what...they live on the street in the cold no one to talk to...cant shower...no :bunnies: no LIFE...its a harsh world and if I'm gonna do something to make me forget about it then hey let me be...sh!t in all honesty how much do people really care about what they do and who they are....that dog is all that person has and probably will have for the rest of there life...try not to feel bad when you see animals on the street in the cold you have to remember they are animals...which means before houses were invented they were on the street in the cold...they will survive they have fur...:biggrin: Its always good to see concerned citizens Jhale....but just let him be...my dos centavos...

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

One instance a girl was sexually assaulted. Keep this in mind.

Jon I'm not worried about you in this type of situation