Thanks to Ashley Quadros from Hospitality House for this information.
“If I had the opportunity, I would shelter at the Hospitality House, if I could bring my dog with me,” said Shaun Bryant, a local homeless veteran. “Without her, I wouldn’t even consider it.”
Bryant has owned Sky, an 11-year-old Austrian Sheppard mix, since she was just 8 months old. Bryant puts Sky first and ensures she eats two to three times a day; he would rather stay homeless and forgo shelter at Hospitality House than be separated from his only loving, stable companion.
This sentiment isn’t exclusive to Bryant; it’s a known barrier preventing dozens of local homeless men and women from receiving shelter and was reaffirmed during the January 2019 Point-in-Time Count when 50 homeless pet owners participated in a pet survey. All 50 participants were asked if they would shelter at Hospitality House if they could sleep with their pet. A whopping 76 percent (38 individuals) indicated yes. However, the survey results also revealed that if Hospitality House could only offer pet shelter offsite in a different location, only 24 percent (12 individuals) would utilize the shelter.
See Press Release