Street Dog Coalition cares for lives on both ends of the leash
Feb. 2—Daisy was given some medicine for her sore paws. Tai was prescribed antibiotics for an infection. And Jordan and Cuddles walked away with their nails clipped.
The terrier mix, the boxer mix, the Jack Russell terrier, and a number of other dogs were the beneficiaries of visits Thursday by a nonprofit team of veterinarians and vet assistants to a one-time motel on Union Avenue that has been renovated and turned into residential units for those at risk of homelessness.
The Street Dog Coalition — in Bakersfield and many other cities across the country — provides free medical care and related services to pets of people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness.
"What we do is we provide basic wellness care, preventative care for pets belonging to people who are homeless," said Dr. Allyson Hannan, an emergency veterinarian for 15 years and a Street Dog Coalition Team Lead since 2019.
"It's vaccines, physical exams," she said. "We can treat minor health conditions like ear infections, skin infections, and we can do parasite control."
They also help with spaying and neutering.
The bond unsheltered people have with their pets often is so strong, many will forgo shelter for themselves if their pets are not allowed in.
And while traditional homeless shelters had long been off-limits to pets, many have in recent years recognized the importance of the bond between pets and those vulnerable populations — and more often are keeping owners and pets together.
Tillie Velasquez, the owner of Jordan and Cuddles, said the Street Dog team comes to the residential complex on a regular basis. Over time, they've come to know the pets and the people.
"Cuddles ... he's definitely better because of their help," Velasquez said. "They also helped us get them neutered for free. We only had to pay for the medicine."
What would she do if pets were no longer allowed at the complex, she was asked.
"I would leave, because my animals are like my kids."
Ellen Welborn, who shares a home with Daisy, the terrier mix, said she can't afford to take her pet to a conventional veterinarian. And like Velasquez, she said she would leave if she couldn't keep her beloved pet near her.
"She guards me when I come out here," she said of the tiny pooch. "She's really protective."
The two women, both living in less-than-ideal circumstances, said independently of each other that their pets keep them sane.
Dr. Bob Maruna, a practicing veterinarian since 1996, has been working with the Street Dog Coalition since 2018.
"We got started walking around by the river, finding people in their encampments," Maruna said.
For people who are unsheltered, what are they going to do when their pet gets sick? he asked.
"Even if you have money, it's hard to get into a vet clinic these days," Maruna said.
"You know, some of them we can help and some of them we can't.
"But we always give the owners an opportunity to try, and I think that's what they need more than anything," he said.
"They need to feel they did right by their pet."
Reporter Steven Mayer can be reached at 661-395-7353. Follow him on Facebook and on Twitter: @semayerTBC.
