The Pet Paradox
Uncovering the Role of Animal Companions During the Serious Health Events of People Experiencing Homelessness
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7654490 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Chesney Ward (0009-0006-0146-1396, University of Tennessee at Knoxville), Ian Johnson (0000-0002-9476-6220, College of Health, Community, & Policy, Department of Social Work, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA), Patricia Bamwine (0000-0002-3727-8191, University of Tennessee at Knoxville), Michael Light (Palliative Care Training Center, University of Washington, Washington, DC, USA), Michael J Light (0009-0003-6841-842X) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 37 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 343-359 |
| Publication date | 2024-03-03 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Anthrozoös (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0892-7936 • E-ISSN: 1753-0377 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/08927936.2023.2280376 |
| OpenAlex | W4388973641 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 35 |
Despite the prevalence of animal companions in the lives of homeless individuals and the established benefits and complications offered by animals during serious illness and end-of-life (EOL), little is known about the experiences of homeless people who have animal companions and chronic illness. Two subsamples from a larger study – longitudinal medical documentation of homeless palliative-care patients who discussed animal companionship during their care (n = 11) and interviews with cross-sector service providers (n = 3) who spoke to the role of animals in care – were analyzed using an interpretive description approach. Results showcased three major themes: (1) healing benefits to animal companionship during concurrent homelessness and serious illness; (2) choosing animal companionship over formal housing and health services; (3) when animal companionship's consequences outweigh the benefits. These findings provide practical implications for clinical assessment, programing, and service expansion for persons with animal companions and future translational science to benefit animal companion owners experiencing serious illnesses while homeless
Animal welfare · Animal-assisted therapy · Companion animal · Documentation · HUBzero · Human animal · Interpersonal communication · Interpersonal relationship · Pet therapy · Psychotherapist · Human-Animal Interaction Studies · Medicine · Nursing · Palliative Care and End-of-Life Issues · Psychology · Zoonotic diseases and public health · Social Psychology
Dog Ownership and Physical Activity
Interpretive description
Pet ownership in the unsheltered homeless population in Los Angeles
Dilemmas Associated with Rehousing Homeless People Who Have Companion Animals
Homeless People who are Animal Caretakers
Palliative Care and Use of Animal-Assisted Therapy
Minding the Gap
The Age Structure of Contemporary Homelessness
The Analytic Challenge in Interpretive Description
Animals as Lifechangers and Lifesavers
The Impact of Pet Ownership on Healthcare-Seeking Behavior in Individuals Experiencing Homelessness
I Can't Give Up When I Have Them to Care for
Homeless People and Their Dogs
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |