The alliance, funded by a Battersea grant, will aim to directly help thousands of pet dogs, cats and other companion animals with preventative, routine and emergency vet care over the next five years.
With an estimated 300,000 people in the UK experiencing
homelessness and as many as 25 per cent of those people owning a pet, this new strategic partnership will play a vital role in supporting people and their pets experiencing homelessness in local communities across the UK, from Scotland to Cornwall.
StreetVet, with Battersea’s support, will expand its volunteering outreach programme to deliver free veterinary care to pets and people experiencing homelessness. This includes people who are sleeping rough or outside, in temporary accommodation, living in insecure housing such as staying with friends and ‘sofa surfing’, or those applying for and receiving support from their local authority.
There are currently more than 300 vets and veterinary nurses volunteering at 23 existing StreetVet locations across the UK, providing free food, pet essentials, and veterinary check-ups and preventative treatment for pets as well as building trust and providing reassurance to pet owners.
The StreetVet and Battersea alliance will work towards setting up further outreaches in new locations, almost doubling the support for pets and their owners experiencing homelessness in communities across the UK.
Zoe Abbotts, CEO at StreetVet said,
Peter Laurie, Chief Executive at Battersea, said:
Jade Statt, Co-Founder and Clinical Director at StreetVet said:
The two charities have already worked together for a number of years, including Battersea funding the growth of the StreetVet Accredited Hostel Scheme, which provides training and support for hostels and temporary accommodation providers to become pet inclusive.
StreetVet and Battersea commissioned Homeless Link in 2024 to conduct a report to explore how pet ownership impacts homelessness in the UK.
Evidence highlights a significant gap in the availability of pet inclusive accommodation in the UK. The report shares that out of 960 homelessness accommodation-based services listed in the Homeless England database, only 21 per cent report that they accept dogs. There is no information available for other pets. [i]
Estimates of pet ownership among those experiencing homelessness in England suggest that between 10-25 per cent of homelessness service users have pets.[ii] With less than 10 per cent of homeless hostels in the UK currently accepting pets, introducing a pet inclusive initiative is helping more people and pets experiencing homelessness to access accommodation and stay together.
About the Alliance
Since 2016 StreetVet has supported the health and lives of over 3,200 pets belonging to those experiencing homelessness.
There are now more than 300 vets and veterinary nurses volunteering for StreetVet throughout the UK.
StreetVet vets and veterinary nurses, working with outreach organisations, are out in multiple communities across the UK weekly.
StreetVet currently has 23 outreach locations across the UK from Scotland to Cornwall.
The StreetVet Accredited Hostel & Day Centre Scheme has trained more than 165 staff, supported more than 270 pets and helped more than 70 pets and owners into independent living since it started in 2020.
You can follow StreetVet on:
Instagram @streetvetuk_
Facebook @streetvet
LinkedIn @streetvet
At Battersea we offer our love and expert care to dogs and cats who need us by rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals at our centres, and by sharing our knowledge and resources with other organisations around the world. We do this because we want to help every dog and cat, everywhere
In 2024 Battersea directly cared for 2,766 dogs and 2,454 cats at our three centres. We also helped thousands more through campaigning work, supporting other rescues and animal welfare advocates, and sharing knowledge and advice with pet owners.
Battersea has three centres based in London; Old Windsor, Berkshire; and Brands Hatch, Kent.
To find out more visit their website or follow Battersea on:
X @battersea_
Instagram @battersea
Facebook facebook.com/Battersea
TikTok @battersea.
[i], [ii] – Laine, L. Morris, N. Homeless Link 2024, Improving outcomes for pet owners experiencing homelessness: An evidence-base for Battersea and StreetVet.
We will use everything you give - in cash or kind - to provide much-needed veterinary care and support to the pets of those experiencing homelessness across the UK.
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