Soup kitchen feeds people and their pets

[Catherine]

This is a very positive step forward. A New York soup kitchen provides meals for people's pets. It is a recognition of how important pets are in people's lives. Even homeless people need the love of a pet, in fact they may need it more.

http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/new-york-...ople-pets/

A trend like this is important for the pets involved, but it is also recognizing the homeless as people who have complex needs.

Shelters for abused women are now starting to take people's pets too. Humane Societies are opening up pet food banks. We are starting to see that pets are an important part of our lives. They are not a luxury item or a passing thing to be discarded. Pets help keep us happy and balanced even in a crisis of fleeing a bad situation or living on the streets. People need pets and we are happier because we have them.

[Tobi]

I am very glad to hear that the animals are being treated with compassion, just as the people are. Very often, for people who have fallen on bad times, or living in the back of their car -or worse -their animal companion is the only true friend they have.

[Catherine]

They are finally starting to recognize that homeless people and very poor people need the love of their pets.
Some of the shelters are able to accommodate people with their pets. It is definitely and improvement over past attitudes.

I hope the idea spreads to other cities and other shelters/soup kitchens.