StreetVet, a national charity providing free veterinary care to the pets of those experiencing homelessness, has formed an alliance with animal welfare charity Battersea to help transform the lives of people and pets experiencing homelessness across the UK.
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.
Building on a History of Collaboration
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.
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.
“With ongoing cost of living challenges and tragically high levels of homelessness in this country, we’re proud to be launching this alliance with StreetVet to expand their vital services. By working together many more pets and people experiencing homelessness will be able to access essential veterinary care and life-changing support, and in doing so we’ll be helping to preserve the incredibly special human-animal bond.”
– Peter Laurie, Chief Executive at Battersea
Expanding StreetVet's Reach and Support
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.
"We are thrilled to announce the new alliance between StreetVet and Battersea. This alliance opens up exciting opportunities for us to work together in supporting more pets and their owners experiencing homelessness across the UK. The alliance will enable StreetVet to extend our reach to more locations, something we have been unable to achieve until now due to limited resources. We recognise the nationwide demand for our vital support and are committed to expanding our services to meet this need. In these challenging times, our mission to keep pets healthy, happy and by their owner's side is more crucial than ever."
– Zoe Abbotts, CEO at StreetVet
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.
Addressing the Gap in Pet-Inclusive Accommodation
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.
Estimates of pet ownership among those experiencing homelessness in England suggest that between 10-25 per cent of homelessness service users have pets. 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.
“Battersea has been part of the StreetVet story from the very beginning, and I am excited to see the next chapter of that story unfold. This alliance will level up the special relationship between StreetVet and Battersea and provide important new opportunities for us to reach more pets and their owners experiencing homelessness and deliver the essential care they need and deserve.”
– Jade Statt, Co-Founder and Clinical Director at StreetVet