Meet Ronnie and Reggie - two newborn puppies who are living with their owner in Manchester city centre .
The six-day-old Staffordshire terrier pups are being looked after by their mum Rosie and their owner, who is currently homeless.
Despite his difficult circumstances, charity workers say the rough sleeper is taking excellent care of the young dogs and they are both healthy and well looked after.
“They are really healthy and he’s doing a really good job helping them,” says Street Paws founder Michelle Southern.
“The puppies are chunky and happy. Despite his circumstances he’s putting his dogs first.”
Street Paws has been working with Manchester Council ’s animal welfare officer Rachel Murphy in supporting the owner and his pets.
It comes after the trio were spotted by city centre police who called the council’s rough sleeping team.
The family of pets and their owner are now being supported by the charity and the council.
Both of the tiny puppies and their mum will receive ongoing health checks, treatment and support from Street Paws and the council.
Street Paws tweeted about the new arrivals on Thursday afternoon.
They wrote: “Meet our newest #family members Ronnie and Reggie who belong to a rough sleeper we are supporting in #manchester he’s doing an amazing job with them as you can see thank you @ManCityCouncil animal welfare officer Rachel for her 1-1 support #streetpaws #puppy #puppies #Homeless”
Because volunteers at the Street Paws charity know how important animals are to homeless men and women , they provide support to help them look after their pets.
Once a month a team of vets and vet nurses take to the streets to offer free checks, food and treats to any animals sleeping rough.
It’s also a chance for owners can discuss any other concerns they might have about their pets.
Michelle says it’s important to build trust because many homeless people are wary that their dog could be taken away from them.
She adds: “We do monthly outreach work for all their veterinary needs and support them with anything they need treatment for. We also have emergency kennel spaces."
