Effects of Companion Animal Ownership among Canadian Street-involved Youth: A Qualitative Analysis

Summary

This article is published in the  The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare and is free to read online.

In Canada, approximately 150,000 youth are homeless on any given night, and many have companion animals. Through a series of semi-structured interviews , this qualitative study explored the issues and affects of companion animal ownership among street-involved youth from the perspective of the youth themselves. ‘Pet before self’ was the substantive theme, with first level sub-themes of ‘physical’ and ’emotional’ effects. Previously unidentified findings include benefits of having a companion animal, such as creating structure and routine and decreasing use of drugs. Loss of the companion animal was a negative effect. Youth consistently reported making choices to stay with their animal regardless of liabilities for their own health or success. Service providers should understand and support the significant human-animal bond that can exist for these homeless youth.