CATHERINE has been at the Simon Community’s Kent Road service for a year now with her beautiful lurcher and Staffordshire terrier cross Freya. It is one of the few homeless accommodation services that accepts dogs.
Before that she had her own rented house but found things difficult after her partner died. Her daughter – fleeing violent threats from her partner – moved in. But soon she was drinking and inviting violent young men into Catherine’s home. Her daughter also brought her dog. “Right away she used to sit right up close beside me,” she says.
“We’d play with a ball or I would take her out for walks and she wasn’t so scared anymore.”
READ MORE: Glasgow homeless shelter plan a lifeline for dog owners
But when chaos broke out amongst those her daughter invited round, Freya was jittery. And so was Catherine – who had a history of sexual assault and found it almost impossible to cope with it.
“I had to end up grabbing a bag and going to the homeless place,” she says. “The first thing they said was: ‘You can’t take the dog.’ I felt like maybe I would just buy a tent or something. There was no way I was leaving her.”
In the end a friend agreed to look after her temporarily while Catherine went into women’s supported accommodation. “She was so close to me,” she says. “I didn’t have anyone and she just became my wee best friend.”
“My wee seal,” she calls her, affectionately holding her face in her hands. While separated for several months, she visited frequently but admitted it was “heartbreaking” each time she left. Her mental health was poor, she was self-harming and not being with her beloved dog increased her anxiety.
“Then I got offered this place, and that meant I could take Freya with me,” she says. “I was so relieved.”
READ MORE: Dogs are vital to homeless people, charity advises landlords
Here, she has her own flat with a communal kitchen and living room downstairs and staff support on hand. There are day trips and communal meals for special occasions and for Freya lots of parks with squirrels to chase.
“The staff will drop anything they’re doing to help you,” she says. “It’s saved my life.”
Support worker Angela Greenhorn says: “Animals are just so therapeutic in helping people through hard times.
“With Freya, Catherine’s up and out in the morning and walks her many times a day. It prompts her to look after herself as well.
“If Catherine is going through a difficult time, Freya will sit very close and just be really protective of her. It definitely is a really important thing in people’s lives, especially if they have gone through homelessness.”
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