Data from a Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) were used to compare homeless people who report caring for animals with homeless people who do not report caring for animals, based on demographic variables and stated reasons for homelessness. Among homeless clients (N = 4,100; M age = 39 yr., SD = 13.2), 5.5% reported animal caretaking; demographic differences between caretaking and not caretaking homeless clients and life factors related to homelessness were most often associated with animal caretaking. 41% of participants (n = 1,664) were female, and 59% (n = 2,436) were male. Findings suggest that first-time homeless, Euro-American women who were homeless due to domestic violence were the most likely to say they were caring for animals. The use of such an information system could aid in identifying this subpopulation and coordinating services for animal care.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AllenK. (1997) Social support and resting blood pressure among young and elderly women: the moderating role of pet dogs and cats. Psychosomatic Medicine, 59, 94.
2.
AllenK. M.BlascovichJ.TomakaJ., & KelseyR. M. (1991) Presence of human friends and pet dogs as moderators of autonomic responses to stress in women. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 61, 582–589.
3.
American Veterinary Medical Association. (2002) U.S. animal caretaking and demographics sourcebook.Schaumburg, IL: Center for Information Management.
4.
ArcherJ. (1997) Why do people love their animals?Evolution and Human Behavior, 18, 237–259.
5.
AscioneF. R. (1998) Battered women's reports of their partners' and their children's cruelty to animals. Journal of Emotional Abuse, 1, 119–133.
6.
BryantB. K. (1990) The richness of the child-pet relationship: a consideration of both benefits and costs of pets to children. Anthrozoös, 3, 253–261.
CatonC. L. M.WilkinsC., & AndersonJ. (2007) People who experience long-term homelessness: characteristics and interventions. Paper developed for the National Symposium on Homelessness Research, Washington, DC.
10.
CohenB. H., & LeaR. B. (2004) Essentials of statistics for the behavioral and social sciences.Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
11.
CulhaneD. P., & KuhnR. (1998) Patterns and determinants of public shelter utilization among homeless adults in New York City and Philadelphia. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 17, 23–43.
12.
DavisJ. H. (1987) Preadolescent self-concept development and pet ownership. Anthrozoös, 1, 90–94.
13.
DavisJ. H., & JuhaszA. M. (1995) The preadolescent/pet friendship bond. Anthrozoös, 8, 78–82.
14.
GelmanA., & HillJ. (2007) Data analysis using regression and multilevel/hierarchical models.New York: Cambridge Univer. Press.
15.
GouldT. E., & WilliamsA. R. (in press) Family homelessness: an investigation of structural effects. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment.
16.
HosmerD. W., & LemeshowS. (2000) Applied logistic regression. (2nd ed.) New York: Wiley.
17.
KellyR. J. (2001) Status report on the homeless. Journal of Social Distress and the Homeless, 10, 229–233.
18.
KiddA. H., & KiddR. M. (1985) Children's attitudes toward their pets. Psychological Reports, 57, 15–31.
19.
KiddA. H., & KiddR. M. (1990) Factors in children's attitudes toward pets. Psychological Reports, 66, 775–786.
20.
KiddA. H., & KiddR. M. (1994) Benefits and liabilities of pets for the homeless. Psychological Reports, 74, 715–722.
21.
LongR. G. (2008) The crux of the method: assumptions in ordinary least squares and logistic regression. Psychological Reports, 103, 431–434.
22.
MelsonG. F. (2001) Why the wild things are: animals in the lives of children.Cambridge, MA: Harvard Univer. Press.
23.
MelsonG. F.PeetS., & SparksC. (1991) Children's attachment to their pets: links to socio-emotional development. Children's Environments Quarterly, 8(2), 55–65.
24.
MeschedeT. (in press) Accessing housing: exploring the impact of medical and substance abuse services on housing attainment for chronically homeless street dwellers. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment.
RewL. (2000) Friends and pets as companions: strategies for coping with loneliness among homeless youth. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing, 13(3), 125–140.
27.
RossiP. H.WrightJ. D.FisherG. A., & WillisG. (1987) The urban homeless: estimating composition and size. Science, 235, 1336–1341.
28.
SerpellJ. A. (1991) Beneficial effects of pet ownership on some aspects of human health and behavior. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 84, 717–720.
29.
SingerR. S.HartL. A., & ZasloffR. L. (1995) Dilemmas associated with rehousing homeless people who have companion animals. Psychological Reports, 77, 851–857.
30.
StrandE. B., & FaverC. A. (2005) Battered women's concern for animals: a closer look. Journal of Family Social Work, 9, 38–59.
31.
SumerlinJ. R. (1995) Adaptation to homelessness: self-actualization, loneliness, and depression in street homeless men. Psychological Reports, 77, 295–314.
32.
SumerlinJ. R., & PrivetteG. (1994) Humanistic constructs and counseling homeless men. Psychological Reports, 75, 611–626.
33.
TaylorH.WilliamsP., & GrayD. (2004) Homelessness and dog ownership: an investigation into animal empathy, attachment, crime, drug use, health and public opinion. Anthrozoös, 17(4), 353–369.
34.
TriebenbacherS. L. (1998) Pets as transitional objects: their role in children's emotional development. Psychological Reports, 82, 191–200.
35.
United States Conference of Mayors, Sodexho, Inc. (2005) Hunger and homelessness survey: a status report on hunger and homelessness in America's cities. December. Retrieved August 1, 2009, from http://usmayors.org/hungersurvey/2005/HH2005FI-NAL.pdf.
36.
United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. (2005) Community self-assessment and evaluation report. (Publication No. HUD_01-742) Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
37.
United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. (2006) Report to Congress: fifth progress report on HUD's strategy for improving homeless data collection, reporting, and analysis.Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved August 1, 2009, from http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/homeless/hmis/strategy/reportocongress2006.pdf.
United States Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2003) Blueprint for change: ending chronic homelessness for persons with serious mental illnesses and/or co-occurring substance use disorders. (DHHS Pub. No. SMA-04-3870) Rockville, MD: Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
40.
WrightJ. D.RubinB. A., & DevineJ. A. (1998) Beside the golden door: policy, politics, and the homeless.New York: Walter de Gruyter.
41.
ZugazagaC. (2004) Stressful life event experiences of homeless adults: a comparison of single men, single women, and women with children. Journal of Community Psychology, 32, 643–654.
