SERVICE DETAILS
Supporting dog owners experiencing homelessness
Discover how we support dog owners experiencing homelessness or in housing crisis.
Many homelessness services are unable to accept pets. This leaves owners experiencing homelessness with the impossible choice of having a safe place to sleep or staying with their beloved pooch.
Through our Hope Project, we support dog owners to stay with their faithful friend.
This includes our:
- Veterinary scheme, which provides free veterinary treatment to dogs whose owners are experiencing homelessness or in housing crisis
- Welcoming Dogs scheme, which helps temporary accommodation providers become dog-friendly
- Online directory of dog-friendly homelessness services in the UK
- Christmas parcel service, where we send out dog goodies to owners.
If you're experiencing homelessness, we'll do everything we can to keep you and your dog together. Find out how we can help.
Support for dog owners...
Help and support for dog owners experiencing homelessness
We know that many people experiencing homelessness rely on their dogs for warmth, comfort and companionship.
That’s why we’re helping people in crisis stay with their dogs. Part of that involves working with homelessness services, but we also directly help owners.
Veterinary help...
Our Hope Project veterinary scheme is open to all dog owners experiencing homelessness or in housing crisis.
We cover the cost of all preventative treatments for your dog (neutering, microchipping, vaccinations, flea and worming treatments) as well as most other essential or emergency procedures.
The vet scheme runs in 115 towns and cities across the UK, through homelessness services.
If you need help with vet costs and aren’t in touch with a relevant service, you can refer yourself directly at https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/how-we-help/hope-project.
Guide to dog-friendly services...
We also help dog owners by helping them find dog-friendly homelessness services such as hostels, across the UK. Please see https://www.dogstrusthopeproject.org.uk/support-providers/overview.
Help and support for homelessness services
If you run, or work for, a homelessness service, we can help you support dog owners in a variety of ways.
Welcoming Dogs...
Through our Welcoming Dogs scheme (https://www.dogstrusthopeproject.org.uk/support-providers/overvie) we'll help you support residents and their pooches. We’ll provide:
- Help to create a bespoke pet policy and pet-owner agreement
- Useful resources on referrals and risk assessments
- Free vet care for any dog staying in the temporary accommodation
- A starter pack of items to welcome dogs (such as collars and leads, dog beds, bowls, and enrichment toys)
- Ongoing support
When you become a Welcoming Dogs endorsed service, we’ll add you to our online directory
Help with veterinary costs
The Hope Project veterinary scheme (https://www.dogstrusthopeproject.org.uk/vets/overview) is open to all dog owners experiencing homelessness or in housing crisis. It covers the cost of preventative treatments and most essential and emergency procedures for their dog.
If you’re a homelessness service provider, you can sign up to make online referrals to the scheme at https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/how-we-help/hope-project.
