Goldie was very wary of the team from the Bradshaw Animal Shelter as they walked into her encampment. Tethered to a makeshift pole with two ropes tied together, she stood and barked, tail tucked under her body as she shook – unsure of the situation. But as soon as the top popped on a can of wet dog food and it was offered to her, she immediately came forward to taste the special treat.
Goldie is a tan pit bull mix, living with her unhoused owner on a corner lot off Orange Ave. She looks healthy and happy – glad to be with her owner and certainly not underfed but weighing in at nearly 60 lbs, all dog owners know, it can be expensive to feed large dogs.
Goldie’s owner is so grateful for the large bag of dog food left for both Goldie and his brother's dog who he is caring for. He asks Animal Control Officer Jessica Solano for advice on how to introduce the dogs to each other, so they can cohabitate peacefully. After providing several suggestions for successful introductions, Officer Solano promises to return the next day with a basket muzzle, to allow the dogs to safely meet, and hopefully become friends.
Before heading out for this effort, Officer Solano emptied out the Pet Pantry at the shelter, a stockpile of donations for pets in need – typically donated by the residents of Sacramento County. Some treats, bones and toys – in addition to food. In order to fill up the truck with enough food to feed unhoused pets, Officer Solano grabbed several bags of food from the shelter’s food supply.
Officer Solano locates another dog, a Belgian Malinois puppy, a dozen yards away, tied to a leash that is staked into the ground. These types of tethers are common to see for pets in the unhoused community, often due to the lack of stable alternatives. His owner isn’t in the encampment, but the pup bounds right up to Officer Solano and allows her to check him for fleas. She makes a mental note to bring back flea treatment when she returns the next day. After giving the pup a can of wet food as well, the team leaves three large bags of dog food at the encampment.
The next stop is at a nearby library, where Officer Solano spots an unhoused woman with four small dogs in and around a shopping cart, sitting in front of the library using its wifi for her laptop. As she spots the animal control truck coming, she quickly leashes her dogs to the cart with ropes that are nearly threadbare. The fear on her face suggested she thought she’d be cited for having her dogs unleashed. Instead, Officer Solano brings her dog food for her little brood and also leaves new leashes to help keep the dogs safe.
As the team continues to move through the south unincorporated county, they pass a row of cars, trucks and RVs parked on the side of the road with at least one dog crate visible. Officer Solano makes her way vehicle by vehicle, asking if anyone has animals in need of food. Turns out there were two large dogs, a small dog and one cat living in the encampment – all with owners extremely grateful for the food, but more grateful for the fact that they were seen and cared for.
The team’s final stop was another RV parked along South Watt with two dogs chained up outside. Officer Solano grabbed the last of the food in her truck to leave by the RV, but as the team approached the RV, the owner came walking from the opposite direction, having made a quick trip over to the nearest gas station. One of the dogs barked and barked, even as her tail wagged, but the other dog was eager to play and gets pets – even from strangers. As the dog’s owner opened the door of the RV, another large dog came running out, ready to jump and lick and play. In addition to food, the team left large bones and harnesses to help control the dogs.
The day was a success – feeding and providing care for a dozen pets. But the need is much larger than that. Hundreds, if not thousands of pets are living with unhoused owners. If you’d like to donate food or resources to help feed unhoused pets, learn more about how to
help pets stay with their owners.
