Approach to Homelessness Vulnerability and the Impact as One Health Initiative

Abstract

RESUMO: Pessoas em situação de rua têm sido consideradas um problema mundial na área da política pública e que demanda uma intervenção multidisciplinar com abordagem de assistência social e saúde. Algumas dessas pessoas em situação de rua têm interação próxima e de companhia com animais domésticos. Embora animais de companhia possam oferecer estabilidade emocional, podem contribuir para recusa no acolhimento humano e persistência nas ruas, como animais de companhia podem ser proibidos de adentrar em abrigos humanos. A presença de animais e a superexposição ambiental podem agravar coinfecções nestas populações vulneráveis. Por isso a importância de incluir o médico veterinário na rede multidisciplinar para garantir a saúde animal e reduzir as zoonoses e seus fatores de risco associados.Palavras-chave: animais de companhia; pessoa em situação de rua; zoonoses ABSTRACT: Homeless has been considered a worldwide public policy problem and may demand a multi-professional intervention with social assistance and health care approaches. Some of these homeless may have close and companion interactions with domestic animals in their environment. Although pets may provide emotional stability, may also contribute to human sheltering refusal and homeless persistence, as pets may not be allowed on most human shelters. Pet presence and environmental exposure may aggravate co-infections in such vulnerable population. Therefore, veterinarian inclusion in such network care frame has been crucial to insure animal health and reduce zoonosis and related risk factor.

Benefits, companion animal zoonotic disease prevalence and public perceptions of pet ownership among people experiencing homelessness in northern California

“…Pets in this population benefit from care and companionship outside of shelters and may have a stronger human‐animal bond compared with pets in stable housing (Taylor et al, 2004). However, conditions in which unhoused individuals live increase risk factors for certain zoonotic and ectoparasitic diseases (Gravinatti et al, 2017). Fleas, ticks and mosquitos transmit diseases such as bartonellosis, typhus, spotted fevers, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, heartworm and West Nile fever.…”

“…Public perception of pet ownership in the unhoused population tends to be negative (Irvine et al, 2012), despite recent evidence suggesting that unhoused pets are in similar health conditions as housed pets (French et al, 2021). Many shelters and affordable housing units prohibit pets (Gravinatti et al, 2017; Wusinich et al, 2019), yet one study found that 93–96% of unhoused pet owners would not accept housing if their pets were not allowed (Singer et al, 1995). This obstacle prevents many unhoused individuals from finding suitable housing without killing the strong bond they share with their pets.…”