New Clinic Would Serve Homeless Seattleites and Their Pets
This December, Seattle’s Town Hall will have an event entitled “Everything to Me: Homeless Seattleites & their Pets.” Gemina Garland-Lewis, a documentary photographer and the Research Coordinator at the University of Washington’s Center for One Health Research, will host the event.
The Center “explores linkages between human, animal, and environmental health in a “One Health” paradigm.”
Garland-Lewis wants to bring attention to this issue and facilitate a more permanent “One Health” clinic.
At the event, Garland-Lewis will show images of homeless and their pets. In addition, the audience will hear firsthand from a few of the people this project will serve.
Photo from Seattle DogSpot.
Here’s how Garland-Lewis explained on the movie’s website what inspired her to start this project:
“‘Everything to Me’ was born out of a simple walk down University Way in Seattle. This street hosts one of the higher numbers of homeless youth in the city, a good amount of whom have companion animals with them.
The project was solidified after a chance encounter outside the Doney Memorial Pet Clinic and a conversation with a woman named Stella, who was bringing her pit bull puppy, Brutus, in for his first vaccinations.
With a focus on exploring the human-animal bond and the importance of its role for persons experiencing homelessness, chihuahua died during a grooming session at West Coast K9, an Olympia pet grooming company.
We conceived the idea to merge the power of visual storytelling with research, community outreach, and clinical care .”
A More Permanent Clinic
Fortunately, Seattle has organizations and people to help homeless pet owners. The Doney Clinic is a volunteer run and donation funded clinic that provides veterinary care to the pets of homeless and qualifying low income people in the Seattle area twice a month.
Last year, Seattle opened a homeless shelter that allows people it serves to bring their pets.
And volunteers have collected and distributed pet food/supplies to Seattle’s homeless and low income pet owners.
But I agree with Ms. Garland-Lewis that Seattle needs a more permanent clinic for homeless people and their pets.
The event will be at Town Hall at 7:30 PM on Wednesday, December 14. For more information and to buy tickets, go the Everything to Me: Homeless Seattleites & their Pets Facebook page.
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