By Jennifer Thomas
A victim of domestic violence chooses to stay in an abusive situation because they do not want to leave their companion animal behind to be harmed. A veteran experiencing homelessness is forced to surrender their service dog because there are no pet friendly shelters. An older adult can’t stay to receive treatment at the hospital because there is no one to watch over their cats during their recovery. These are just a few of the intersecting and tragic situations involving animals, their humans, and complex social issues.
Social Work has historically and exclusively focused on the human members of society without much concern for how the lives of animals intersect. Today, companion animals are widely present in U.S households with an estimated 57% of homes owning a pet. Animal welfare penetrates a variety of social work specialties and societal issues. Focusing more on our non-human members of society does not crowd out humans, but rather it increases and enriches our capacity to serve.
The Human-Animal Relationship
Humans and animals share an amazingly special bond. Paying close attention to the human-animal relationship can assist social workers in the delivery of services, identifying risks and resiliency factors, promoting social and environmental justice, and expanding attention to all vulnerable members of society. Service animals, emotional support animals, comfort dogs, and animal-assisted therapy animals are just a few of the ways that animals have a round impact on clinical social work practice.
There are many health benefits of human-animal interactions across the lifespan that social workers ought to be aware of, such as slowing the development of chronic illness, decreasing loneliness and depression, and improving physical fitness, to name a few. These benefits are especially important for older adults and those at risk of social isolation. Pets can offer older adults a vital source of companionship and emotional support. Caring for a pet may be a strong motivator for a client to have a daily routine, get exercise, and be involved in the community. The animal may be the last link to a deceased spouse and serve as an important resiliency factor against depression and other mental health issues. Social workers help older adults age in place with their pets as well establish services for pet owners in need of medical care or long term hospitalization where they can foster or temporarily house their pets until they return home.
Another vulnerable group of individuals that social workers frequently work with are those experiencing homelessness or housing instability. Nearly 3.5 million Americans who experience homelessness annually have dogs and cats that provide emotional support, safety, a sense of responsibility, and combat loneliness. Because most homeless shelters do not allow pets, these restrictions deter pet owners from seeking out shelters and stabilizing resources.
The Street Dog Coalition, operating in over 50 cities across the country, is committed to protecting the human-animal bond and caring for both animals and humans. Social work, veterinary, and medical school students host free medical clinics and provide other related services to pets and people experiencing, or at risk of experiencing homelessness.
