{"id":2945,"date":"2020-01-13T13:00:22","date_gmt":"2020-01-13T13:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/salvationarmy.ca\/britishcolumbia\/noahs-ark\/"},"modified":"2025-05-26T11:23:53","modified_gmt":"2025-05-26T11:23:53","slug":"noahs-ark","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/salvationarmy.ca\/britishcolumbia\/2020\/01\/13\/noahs-ark\/","title":{"rendered":"Noah’s Ark"},"content":{"rendered":"
This article originally appeared in The Salvationist<\/a> on December 23, 2019<\/h6>\n

 <\/p>\n

In Abbotsford, The Salvation Army\u2019s Centre of Hope offers a place of shelter and safety, not only for people without a home, but also their animals. Since becoming a \u201cpet-friendly\u201d shelter in October 2014, they\u2019ve welcomed dogs, cats, rabbits, birds\u2014even a lizard and a tarantula.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe opened the door to pets because we found ourselves turning people away,\u201d says Al Breitkreuz, program manager, shelter, outreach and family services. \u201cFor some people, a pet is an important part of their survival, something that keeps them going. They shouldn\u2019t have to give that up so they can sleep indoors.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe means everything to me. She keeps me going,\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Mary (not her real name) is an elderly woman with the onset of dementia. \u201cShe\u2019s had her Shih Tzu, Daisy, for 14 years. She needs this little dog,\u201d says Breitkreuz. \u201cIf there was no petfriendly shelter available, where would she go?\u201d<\/p>\n

Along with meeting an immediate need, the shelter provides access to vital resources for those in the midst of challenging circumstances. After identifying this barrier to service, shelter staff considered the practical questions involved in having animals in the building. Were there health and safety concerns? What about noise? Could they keep the shelter clean?<\/p>\n

\u201cWe came up with a policy to address these issues, and all pet owners are asked to sign a contract outlining their expectations and responsibilities,\u201d he says. \u201cUltimately, the owner is accountable for the actions and behaviour of their pet.\u201d<\/p>\n

The shelter allows two fur-bearing animals at one time. Owners are responsible to feed, walk and clean up after their pet, keep them under control at all times and be respectful of others in the community, as well as local bylaws.<\/p>\n

At night, pets sleep outside in a large kennel, with an insulated doghouse, donated by Petcetera. During the day, they can be inside with their owner, but must wear a leash\u2014 and possibly a muzzle\u2014when in common areas. Pets aren\u2019t permitted in the kitchen or dining room, unless they are service animals.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn one hand, pets are a bit of extra work, but on the other hand, they also make our lives easier\u2014it goes both ways,\u201d says Breitkreuz. \u201cResearch suggests that the presence of pets in a shelter can bring equilibrium. When clients are sitting around in the evening, watching TV, and there\u2019s a dog at their feet\u2014that\u2019s a beautiful thing. Everyone loves that.\u201d<\/p>\n

On rare occasions, shelter staff have felt an animal was being mistreated and called the SPCA. \u201cBut for the most part, there\u2019s such a positive, caring bond,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Although having a pet can make it more difficult to find housing, this bond helps. \u201cThe responsibility that comes with owning and taking care of a pet provides so much balance in a person\u2019s life,\u201d he says. \u201cIt gives them the motivation to get housed. We\u2019ve found that our housing rate is actually higher for people with pets than people without.\u201d<\/p>\n

Breitkreuz recommends that other shelters consider becoming pet-friendly. \u201cOur mission is to meet the needs of as many people as we possibly can, and for the most part, this entire project is working well,\u201d he says. \u201cThere may be reasons why some shelters can\u2019t, but if it\u2019s just because you\u2019re afraid of the mess, then you need to look into the benefits, because it\u2019s worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Photo and article by Giselle Randall<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This article originally appeared in The Salvationist on December 23, 2019   In Abbotsford, The Salvation Army\u2019s Centre of Hope offers a place of shelter and safety, not only for people without a home, but also their animals. Since becoming a \u201cpet-friendly\u201d shelter in October 2014, they\u2019ve welcomed dogs, cats, rabbits, birds\u2014even a lizard and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2946,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[14,70],"tags":[],"location":[],"class_list":["post-2945","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-health-and-social-services"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nNoah's Ark - British Columbia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/salvationarmy.ca\/britishcolumbia\/2020\/01\/13\/noahs-ark\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Noah's Ark - British Columbia\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"This article originally appeared in The Salvationist on December 23, 2019   In Abbotsford, The Salvation Army\u2019s Centre of Hope offers a place of shelter and safety, not only for people without a home, but also their animals. 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