A homeless man refused to give up his dog in order to have a place to spend the night because his pet gave him 'something to fight for'.
When the only hostel space Damon was offered in Scotland didn't allow dogs he was forced to choose between staying on the street or giving up his best friend - and he couldn't do that to Odan.
That's because he says the Staffordshire Bull Terrier saved his life, Daily Record reports.
Odan would give him a reason to get up in the morning and was by his side through all difficult times.
Damon said: “I needed a reason to get out of bed in the morning, I was losing grip on life and I didn’t want to live anymore. Odan has been an absolute godsend to me, and he has completely changed my outlook on life.
“Odan gives me the energy I need to push forward with my life, he has given me something to fight for.
“It means everything to be with Odan. I wish I had the words to express how it feels. Dogs pick up from us how we are feeling, and they know if we’re not happy.”
Dog owners experiencing homelessness can be faced with a lack of pet-friendly accommodation available to them.
However, some charities are providing a lifeline to people like Damon such as the partnership between Dogs Trust and Simon Community Scotland.
They aim to reduce the number of people like Damon having to choose between a safe place to sleep and their pet.
The dog welfare charity and homelessness charity have helped increase accommodation and support for pet-owning people who find themselves in poverty, developing dog-friendly policies for homelessness service providers.
Because of them, Damon was able to stay with Odan after the local authority arranged pet-friendly emergency accommodation for them.
The duo have since moved into their own tenancy together.
Damon added: “The reason that Odan settled is because I am settled here. It has made a big difference to us to be made to feel so welcomed.”
Dogs Trust and Simon Community Scotland’s launched the one-year Pets and Housing Project, which has been working with homelessness organisations across Scotland to open their doors to dog owners through the ‘Welcoming Dogs’ scheme operated by Dogs Trust.
Cat Birt, who leads on the Pets and Housing Project, said: “I’m really proud of everything that has been achieved over the last year, despite the challenges we have faced as a result of the pandemic, and it has been great to see first-hand how our work has impacted people’s lives.
“For people facing homelessness, they are more likely to be isolated and detached from society and their pet can be the most loving and consistent relationship they have.
“We are a nation of dog lovers, and know how pets enrich our lives, so it is vitally important homelessness services recognise the importance of the human animal bond and make changes to their policies, so they provide a service inclusive of pet owners.”
Dogs Trust also share on their website a list of dog-friendly hostels for homeless people across the north west, including Cheshire and Liverpool..
