Abstract
This phenomenological study centers around the lived experiences of people experiencing homelessness who are also pet owners in Sacramento, California. It is estimated that up to one quarter of all people experiencing homelessness have pets, however the status of pet ownership often creates barriers for people as they try to engage in essential supportive services. While homelessness is a large and growing issue that affects hundreds of thousands of people throughout the United States, the scope of the issue is often too large to comprehend. Pet ownership, on the other hand, is a common experience shared by both those who have access to stable housing, and to those who do not. This study offers first-person insights from those who understand the issue most closely: those who are experiencing homelessness with pets. The focus on pet owners allows data to be gathered regarding an underserved population within the larger community of people experiencing homelessness. Findings included high occurrence of disability status within study participants, suggesting a need for further research. Additionally, pet owners were able to utilize the relational support of pets, often viewed as part of the family, to cope with the many challenges associated with experiencing homelessness, particularly isolation and stigma. Although pet ownership was found to be associated with greater level of difficulty attaining housing or utilizing services that may have otherwise been able to provide support, participants of this study agreed that the positive benefits of their relationship with their pets outweighed these challenges, to the extent that all participants agreed that they would rather remain homeless than be forced to give up their pets. Pet owners were found to utilize their relationship with their pets to improve their mental health through receiving unconditional love and increasing motivation due to the responsibility of providing care for another living creature. Pet ownership was found to be one of the methods utilized by people experiencing homelessness to increase feelings of connectedness and belongingness. As such, recommendations include integrating pets and services for pet owners into existing programming for people experiencing homelessness in ways that are empowering to clients and allow clients of all different lifestyles, including those who have pets, to practice self-determination in the ways that they choose to live their lives.