At Pets of the Homeless (POTH) Australia, we’re committed to providing practical care in the form of material aid, veterinary care and emergency boarding. POTH is a not-for-profit volunteer-powered organisation which works with social service agencies to provide assistance to pets of people currently experiencing or at risk of homelessness. We are a very small organisation and have very limited capacity to deal directly with clients. Our service model is designed for efficiency, allowing us to continue to provide our services to many more people in need. This holistic approach achieves better outcomes for the people we’re helping.
Food and Pet Supplies
After you donate your food and pet supplies at one of our multiple drop-off points, we repackage and distribute your donations to food banks, soup kitchens and other organisations that work to support people experiencing homelessness.
This hands-on practical support is the most important way we offer care to people and their pets – it’s difficult for anyone to change their situation while worrying about where their next meal is coming from.
We work with community partners to distribute these donations so we can assist as many people and their pets as possible.
Veterinary Care*
Every day, as Pets of the Homeless Australia gains more and more momentum, we can provide veterinary care for more pets in need. While we continue to receive resources, we are able to provide veterinary care on an “as necessary” basis.
Our focus is on preventative medicine, including desexing and vaccination – so pets are less likely to require further veterinary care. We also assist with microchipping, which means pets and humans that are separated have a better chance of reunion.
Emergency Boarding*
We currently provide short term emergency boarding at private boarding kennels/cattery and we have recently launched our foster care program so that we can now provide longer term support for people who have to access crisis accommodation, be admitted to the hospital or flee from a violent situation, without having to worry about where their pets will go.
Awareness Raising
The work we do at Pets of the Homeless Australia is contributing to a growing conversation around the issues of disadvantage – and how we as a society can reduce its impact.
We contribute regularly to the discussion through public speaking, media coverage and online engagement.
We believe that awareness builds compassion – which builds action.
*To access our Veterinary Care and Emergency Boarding service, we require the client to be supported by a case worker. If you are a case worker and would like to find out more about how we can assist, please contact us at hello@petsofthehomeless.org.au
