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It is with a heavy heart that I report the 2023 HUD Report to Congress on the Point in Time Count (done on a single night) showed over 653,000 or about 20 of every 10,000 people in the US were experiencing homelessness. The count is the highest number of people since the reporting began in 2007.
Feeding Pets of the Homeless estimates that up to 25% of people experiencing homelessness have at least one pet.
Our office has seen an 84% increase in calls for resources over the last year. Calls for emergency veterinary care by people experiencing homelessness increased 11%. Veterinary costs increased by over 18%.
During 2023, nearly 2,300 pets received medical treatment. As you recall, we pay at time of service for emergency veterinary cases. Costs for the care of these animals were over $1.3 million. On top of that, our generous hospitals discounted another $123,000 in care.
What has caused these increases? Americans have always loved their pets and we have seen an increase in pet ownership. Most Americans (62%) own a pet and about a third (35%) have more than one. And nearly all U.S. pet owners (97%) say their pets are part of their family, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.
When people end up homeless the reasons are numerous as seen in this chart by Hear Us.
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