Summary: Should Homeless People Have Pets? Dr. Gillian Squirrell has developed a nonprofit program, Working Dog LLC, for vulnerable adults and young people working with dogs as a way to develop interpersonal and workplace skills. Dr. Squirrell tells us that Working Dog LLC has a small fund for the development of ideas about how to improve support for homeless people and their animal companions. As we know, these clients and their animals can fall through gaps in service provision. Should homeless people have pets? Dr. Gillian states that that is an interesting conversation starter. This is a very under-researched and little understood area. There is a lot of judgment attached to homelessness as well as a lot of fear. People range on a continuum from “Absolutely they shouldn’t, they can’t look after themselves, to thinking it’s a really cute thing,” states Dr. Gillian. Also, author Lisa Rogek has found 50 cats that have jobs. This isn’t easy. Cats are notoriously not workers, unlike dogs. From Grumpy Cat to Kitty Models, Lisa will share the stories behind these frolicking felines. Also, Halloween can be a fun time for your pets. But some animals just aren’t cut out for the holiday and would be safer cuddled inside on the night of trickery. Also, there’s a warning for pet owners after a cat was found with its head stuck in a rodent trap. The cat, which was seriously injured, was caught in a Fenn Trap, meant for squirrels and rats. Luckily the cat was found and rescued by a Good Samaritan. Since the incident last month, the SPCA is now calling on people to be aware that setting these rodent traps could be breaking the law. Also, a study reveals having a pet in the classroom may provide real educational value through leadership skills and character building. Despite some of the challenges to having classroom pet, such as coping with loss and teachers spending their own money to care for the pet, the study found six objectives proving the benefit of caring for a classroom pet, like teaching children responsibility compassion, empathy, respect and leadership through animal care and providing relaxation when children are stressed.
