If you love your pet with all your heart you will take care of him even when you are homeless. Studies have found out that nearly 10% of the homeless people in Australia have pets living with them. We wanted to know how they manage their daily lives so we got moving and interviewed a few homeless people with pets in Australia.
Here are a few true stories that may well melt your heart so keep some tissue paper ready (if you have a soft heart).
Clive Gibson, 21, Mandurah, Western Australia
I have been living on the streets of Mandurah for approximately two and a half years now. How I landed here is something I never thought would happen. When I was about 19, I lost both my parents in a massive car crash. I had no relatives or family except my two-year-old Labrador named Buster. Losing my parents was the worst thing ever because I didn’t know what to do or how to survive.
My parents did not have an expensive house, just a normal one. I was forced to sell it because I was in dire need of money and selling my dog was not even an option (though I admit, I did think about it once).
Two and a half years have passed and to this day, despite still being homeless, I made the best decision of not parting ways with Buster. There were days when I felt like ending my life but Buster has given me so many reasons to live and appreciate life. I am so lucky to have a dog like him. So what if I don’t have a home, I have Buster and he has me.
I clean dishes in a nearby restaurant to earn some cash so that we both can get at least some food to nibble upon.
Lleyton Harris, 29, Geelong, Melbourne, Victoria
I am a 29-year old man who used to live in a rented apartment in Geelong. I was compelled to leave because the rent got too high for my liking. Plus, the janitor job that I had, it was never going to be enough to pay the landlord. So I moved here, to the outskirts of Geelong and built a tiny tent. I have been residing here for about three years I reckon.
During my initial painstaking days, life was tough. Living became so unbearable that I literally felt like enough was enough. I was on my way to do something drastically horrible when a cat appeared from nowhere. It walked towards me and scratched my legs with its paws.
In that very moment, my heart sunk and I gave it a warm hug and some food to munch on. I first thought it was someone’s cat but for days no one came asking for a lost cat so I adopted him.
I named him Billy and ever since that day he is with me. My life took a drastic turn as Billy became a valuable part of my life. I live for him and he probably feels the same about me. Animals can indeed change your perspective towards life.
Shayla Atkins, 34, Orange, New South Wales
I have been a widow for two years now. After I lost my husband to the deadly Parkinson’s disease, I had to sell our little home due to financial difficulties. Living on the streets was difficult but I had my pug Wendy with me so I was not alone.
Honestly speaking, there were days when I thought of selling Wendy because I needed money for food. Today, whenever I think back to that moment, I’m like ‘how could a thought like that even come to my mind’.
Wendy has been an integral part of my life and I cannot imagine my life without her. She keeps me going despite all the problems and difficulties. Her being there beside me means the world to me. There’s a saying “home is where the heart is”, and my heart is solely with Wendy. She’s my home; my everything.
The above three stories just go to show how important pets are to most of us. A famous person once said, “A life lived without a pet is no life at all.” It would be pale and empty
Even in our darkest days, if we have our pets with us, we know we can withstand any storm. Hence, if you don’t have any pets, what are you waiting for? Go get one and see how your life will change for good.
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