It's criminal that they don't let people bring their animals into shelters. Even people with homes have trouble paying for food and medical care for their animals. There are local organizations trying to help, but they don't always know who is in need. We are such a cruel society.
The wealthy wouldn’t agree with you. People in general didn’t have many choices even in recent history. In theory, we can do anything, be anything, go anywhere. We have more leisure time than ever before and our work isn’t as hard or as long as it used to be. But we expect more out of life than mere survival and often what we want won’t make us happier, even when we get it.
Thank you. There are so many times when you want to step in, but to do what? The dog is always attached the human who’s doing what he can to stay alive, and neither would thank you. This world is tough on the weak and defenceless.
I’ve seen so many dogs watching over a human being in a desperate state. It’s true that there are dispensaries in the cities where the poorest can take their companions for free medical treatment, and the best of them do. There are some evil bastards though who take out their bitterness on their dogs. There’s never an excuse for that.
I used to live across from the central market in Bordeaux, and the supermarket opposite was a rallying point for dozens of homeless people and their dogs. Mostly they were friendly, just people down on their luck and hadn’t sunk too low, but some of the kids were lost, no hopers. They tended not to speak or socialise at all.
Poor child - I had dogs on the brain today too, must be something in the air - also, loved the 'dossers', don't think I've ever seen that word in print before! 😂 Nice work!
Often the dog is their only friend, but social services don’t usually do dogs. It’s so sad. There was often a dog in the park I used to walk through with Finbar (dog) and one of the rough sleepers told me his ‘owner’ had a bed in the shelter. When that happened, the dog was left to fend for himself.
When I worked in Islington, the park was full of what my boss referred to as dossers. We used to call them tramps in Yorkshire. They probably call them rough sleepers now. Same poor destitute sods though.
In my sphere, a 'dosser' is just someone that's messing (or dossing) about, not generally doing what it is their supposed to be doing, made famous to me by its overuse from our secondary school history teacher (not-guilty)! Finbar's a cool name for a dog, so is Lola actually. Cats tend to do better on their own, but it always makes me so sad to see a lost/abandoned dog.
They would have been tossers. Londoners used a completely different vocabulary to what I was used to and I’ve forgotten most of it.
Finbar was a great dog. He died at the end of 2021 and we adopted two more of the same model (Spanish greyhounds). He left a huge hole. One wouldn’t have been enough. They’re brothers, Bix and Redmond.
They’re maybe not used any more. In Paris when I first lived there, down-and-outs were called clodos (from clochard), a perjorative name that isn’t used unless you really mean to be insulting. Language is sanitised everywhere, as if calling a destitute person ‘homeless’ or ‘of no fixed abode’ makes them less poor and abandoned.
I lived near the Appalachian Trail when I was a kid and we used to have "hoboes" wander by every so often asking if they could do some work for a meal. But we don't use that term anymore, either.
Some of the destitute really love their dogs. Some of them, the ones we call dog punks treat them horribly. There’s all sorts, but none of the dogs deserve it.
One of the barriers of the unhoused obtaining shelter is their inability to bring their pets with them (which you addressed in your story). I wouldn't be able to leave my dog (or cat) behind. It's an impossible choice to have to make.
Some of the shelters are starting to let dogs in too, but it’s not the usual thing. Residents in old people’s homes are allowed to bring their pet with them now. That was a wicked restriction. All those old cats and dogs dumped on the street because relatives didn’t want them and the old person wasn’t allowed to take them to the home.
It's criminal that they don't let people bring their animals into shelters. Even people with homes have trouble paying for food and medical care for their animals. There are local organizations trying to help, but they don't always know who is in need. We are such a cruel society.
It’s called liberty. Liberty to be a selfish, greedy, insensitive arsehole.
this fucking killed me
I find it reassuring that there are still people around who get upset by suffering.
Especially when a dog is involved
I suppose the dog represents what we wish we were.
Nowadays people have a lot of stuff, still to me seems we are much poorer than before.
The story feels like a parable.
The wealthy wouldn’t agree with you. People in general didn’t have many choices even in recent history. In theory, we can do anything, be anything, go anywhere. We have more leisure time than ever before and our work isn’t as hard or as long as it used to be. But we expect more out of life than mere survival and often what we want won’t make us happier, even when we get it.
Yes I thought that was the point…
I remember this, or a similar story from when you lived in town. It's heartbreaking--makes me cry.
Yes, it’s an old story I revised. We don’t see that here, but the images of urban misery are still pretty strong. We’ve gone badly wrong.
well done jane!
Thank you. There are so many times when you want to step in, but to do what? The dog is always attached the human who’s doing what he can to stay alive, and neither would thank you. This world is tough on the weak and defenceless.
isn’t it? that’s why now, more than ever, we need kindness
Kindness and a moral compass, defiance and defence of the weak. We need to open our eyes to the madness we’ve allowed to grow.
Ohhh...I'm crying now. Sometimes, love requires letting go, but it's still so sad.
Letting go of the one you love is the hardest thing of all.
Yes….
This one went straight to the heart!!
I’ve seen so many dogs watching over a human being in a desperate state. It’s true that there are dispensaries in the cities where the poorest can take their companions for free medical treatment, and the best of them do. There are some evil bastards though who take out their bitterness on their dogs. There’s never an excuse for that.
what a gorgeous, heart-rending, heart-warming story, Jane. Thank you so much.
so much to like. so real. sadly.
I used to live across from the central market in Bordeaux, and the supermarket opposite was a rallying point for dozens of homeless people and their dogs. Mostly they were friendly, just people down on their luck and hadn’t sunk too low, but some of the kids were lost, no hopers. They tended not to speak or socialise at all.
Such a heartbreaking story 🥲
I hate seeing this, but in town it’s commonplace. Breaks my heart too.
Aww heartbreaking, loved it.❤️
Thanks Nancy. They have so little, the dogs and the destitute, and sometimes they don’t even have that :(
Poor child - I had dogs on the brain today too, must be something in the air - also, loved the 'dossers', don't think I've ever seen that word in print before! 😂 Nice work!
Often the dog is their only friend, but social services don’t usually do dogs. It’s so sad. There was often a dog in the park I used to walk through with Finbar (dog) and one of the rough sleepers told me his ‘owner’ had a bed in the shelter. When that happened, the dog was left to fend for himself.
When I worked in Islington, the park was full of what my boss referred to as dossers. We used to call them tramps in Yorkshire. They probably call them rough sleepers now. Same poor destitute sods though.
In my sphere, a 'dosser' is just someone that's messing (or dossing) about, not generally doing what it is their supposed to be doing, made famous to me by its overuse from our secondary school history teacher (not-guilty)! Finbar's a cool name for a dog, so is Lola actually. Cats tend to do better on their own, but it always makes me so sad to see a lost/abandoned dog.
They would have been tossers. Londoners used a completely different vocabulary to what I was used to and I’ve forgotten most of it.
Finbar was a great dog. He died at the end of 2021 and we adopted two more of the same model (Spanish greyhounds). He left a huge hole. One wouldn’t have been enough. They’re brothers, Bix and Redmond.
So sad - they live such short lives compared to us, but their imprint stays with us forever
In one human lifetime, we accumulate so many of theirs.
In my sphere, we've not heard of either a dosser or a tosser. But they are such delightful and descriptive words.
They’re maybe not used any more. In Paris when I first lived there, down-and-outs were called clodos (from clochard), a perjorative name that isn’t used unless you really mean to be insulting. Language is sanitised everywhere, as if calling a destitute person ‘homeless’ or ‘of no fixed abode’ makes them less poor and abandoned.
I lived near the Appalachian Trail when I was a kid and we used to have "hoboes" wander by every so often asking if they could do some work for a meal. But we don't use that term anymore, either.
I wonder if they think that being called something more neutral and ‘kinder’ is a substitute for insertion into society.
Heartbreaker, Jane. And all too real. (As a dog lover, this really got me.)
Some of the destitute really love their dogs. Some of them, the ones we call dog punks treat them horribly. There’s all sorts, but none of the dogs deserve it.
One of the barriers of the unhoused obtaining shelter is their inability to bring their pets with them (which you addressed in your story). I wouldn't be able to leave my dog (or cat) behind. It's an impossible choice to have to make.
Some of the shelters are starting to let dogs in too, but it’s not the usual thing. Residents in old people’s homes are allowed to bring their pet with them now. That was a wicked restriction. All those old cats and dogs dumped on the street because relatives didn’t want them and the old person wasn’t allowed to take them to the home.