StreetVet is a veterinary charity that offers free accessible vet care for the pets of those experiencing homelessness. Co-founder Jade Statt shares this incredible story

Set up four years ago by two vets with a backpack, StreetVet has since grown into a charity with hundreds of veterinary volunteers with boots on the ground outreaching in 17 different locations across the UK.

But despite this rapid growth, the ethos remains the same – to do everything we can to keep our clients and their pets together and preserve the human animal bond. In many cases this bond is the only thing that sustains a homeless person, and sometimes it is this same bond that can turn their lives around.

As the co-founder of the charity, I am reminded on a daily basis of why I wanted to set up StreetVet in the first place. As is often the case, it was a chance encounter, but an encounter that would change the course of my life.

At the time I was dealing with the prospect of losing one of the true loves of my life – my geriatric Labrador and soul mate through some tough times, Oakley. Oakley had just been diagnosed with inoperable cancer and it was while I was dealing with this news that I encountered Dave and his dog Brick.

Brick was suffering from itchy sore skin. This was something I knew I could help with and as Dave and I talked dogs, the anxiety he felt about accessing veterinary care was notable. As I walked away I had one clear thought, what would I have done if I was in that position with Oakley?

I knew that if I’d what I needed in my bag, I could have helped Brick and for me that was where StreetVet was born – from my own bond with Oakley and Dave’s connection to Brick. Having now worked with countless homeless clients, I wouldn't hesitate to say that in my 18 years as a vet, the most symbiotic and profound relationships I have been privileged to witness, have been through StreetVet.

These are the special relationships which truly embody the human animal bond, a bond best expressed by a selection of clients StreetVet has been supporting throughout the coronavirus crisis.

What dogs mean

"If I was separated from my dog it would kill me. I've had no mental support since 2014 but my dog is my main mental health support. I'd rather risk my life in a pandemic than be separated from my dog." – Mick talking about his dog Benson.

"When you are stood there hungry and people are walking by like you don't exist, my dog gives me a role. It's like having another heartbeat that is on your side. It's company, he's all the family I have got. He's my moral support. He is everything." – Andy about his dog Bailey.

The words are different but the sentiment is the same; companion animals make a difficult life worth living. In a lonely and often brutal world, the pets of homeless people provide companionship, security, warmth and unconditional love.

StreetVet clients often refer to their pet as their family and I am in no doubt pet ownership enhances our clients social, physical and emotional health. They provide a sense of routine, responsibility, an identity – even a reason to live. But owning a pet on the streets comes at a cost.

As well as the restrictions put on our clients when it comes to mobility, owning a dog can often prevent access to soup kitchens, healthcare and hostel rooms. Imagine being told to choose between a roof over your head or your pet. It’s a choice none of us would want to make, but with only 10 percent of homeless hostels in the UK accepting pets, it's one facing StreetVet's clients every day.

The fact our clients almost always choose to stay on the street and refuse to relinquish their pet is one of the most powerful examples of the human animal connection at work. This is why we are launching the StreetVet Accredited Hostel Scheme, a project that aims to increase the number of UK hostels that are willing to accept pets. This is the next step in the StreetVet story...

Nicki and Bruno’s story

Bruno is Nicki’s everything. She calls him ‘her world’ and they’ve been through a lot, sharing experiences of bereavement and homelessness amongst others and being the reason that Nicki has pushed on through to the next day. Bruno is a StreetVet patient and is a firm favourite with the team.

Having slept at the bottom of Nicki’s sleeping bag when they were on the street, he now takes delight in sharing her bed in their hostel room, buried firmly under the duvet, snoring away! He loves sunshine and soaks it up whenever the opportunity arises, as well as going for his walks along the waterfront watching the boats and ships go by. This much-loved happy chap is Nicki’s protector, companion, counsellor and best friend. He gives her so much and it is a real treat to witness the bond between these two souls.

Andy and Sasha’s story

"Sasha has been my world for the last seven years. I have never known a dog to show so much love and affection like she has. She spent time living in a tent with me and her brother Max, who passed away a few weeks ago. She was gutted, you could just tell by her demeanour. Sasha is a very happy dog always got a wag on her tail and lives to meet new people. She is one of the best dogs I have ever had and if it wasn't for Max and Sasha I don’t know where I would be today."

Dan and Sir Lancelot’s story

The companionship and interaction that my dog offers me is very different from my human interaction. Although humans communicate with speech, it has its limitations. Humans struggle to say the right words and the right thing when what we really need is the support to simply be there for each other. Dogs cannot talk, yet are superior in detecting the feelings of humans and are simply there when it is required. My dog offers me a level of speech that words do not; a level of communication, companionship that is deeper and more satisfying that at times human interaction just simply cannot.

Kevin and Diamond’s story

I rescued Diamond from central London about three or four years ago. Then we came back to Windsor. Diamond is a bit of a character like myself. Diamond was really shy and scared. She used to sleep at the bottom of my sleeping bag. Eventually as, time went by on the streets, Diamond got to know everyone – and everyone knows Diamond. Now all the kids love to say ‘ello!’

We moved into our first home together about six months ago. She’s ok with it, but prefers to be on the streets, meeting people. Whenever Diamond needs to see the vets, StreetVet have always been there. The girls are brilliant with her. Sometimes Diamond gets worried when she sees them, but when the treats come out, Diamond’s attitude changes and she goes all soppy with them. We don’t know what we would do without them.

Al and Rocksta*’s story

This is the first picture of Rocksta* I took and thought ‘looking good boy!’ This was the first spring after the summer that we became Rocksta* and the fatman. He had so many friends at this time, from road sweeper Roysiff, one-eyed Will, and Father David. Rocksta* has many good friends, from the gutters of the street, to the penthouses of Persia. Every second is a good time with Rocksta*. I do believe not only did he save my mind and my freedom; he also saved me from myself.

A poem by Stacey for Bella and Brandy

Listen close for I need to say
My girls mean the world to me in every single way,
They hold a place within my heart
That only the special can fill,
They show much love and definitely don’t judge,
The wrong things I may do,
But choose instead to stand by my side
And helped to see me through,
Their praise for a small success
They never fail to show
And even when I don’t achieve their encouragement helps me so,
They say two is company and three a crowd
But three formed our family
With love so pure I’d never found,
There’s no words or numbers out there that can compare
Just what they mean to me and more when no one’s there,
We can now stop looking for love from far and beyond
For now we are a family with an unbreakable bond.

To find out more, head over to www.streetvet.org.uk

When owner Pamela had a nasty fall, Dave the pug and Ed the Shar Pei teamed up for a simply astonishing rescue effort

On 7 July this year, I had a twist of my left ankle, fell and hit my back off a wall. I have MS and I use a stick but wasn’t doing anything stupid – just watching my two dogs play, turned around and that was it.

My son works from home and had just gone upstairs, so I knew I was in trouble as no one could have heard me. Dave my pug is trained to pick things I drop up, but I hadn’t dropped anything, so I told them to go get my son. They ran into the kitchen and stood barking but my son just kept working thinking they were playing.

It had started to rain and I knew I was in trouble as I couldn’t move and my breathing had become very shallow. In between them running in and out, I asked them to get my phone but it wasn’t on the floor so Dave was confused. I know Ed my Shar Pei loves the furry toy on my phone, so I asked him to get it.

Dear knows how long I’d have been out in the rain without my two super dogs

By now I’d been lying on the path for 20 minutes and knew I had done something bad. Ed came over and I could move my head, so I held onto him and he slowly pulled me towards the backdoor. He then lifted my phone but dropped it as he wasn’t really allowed to touch it, but then Dave grabbed it and gave it to me.

I texted “help fallen” and down my son came. He called 999, and when the medics saw me, they too knew I’d done something. They thought I’d punctured a lung, but after getting IV morphine I was somehow into the ambulance and blue lighted to hospital.

I’d broken my ankle and my back, and was in hospital for seven weeks, then got home needing carers, nurses and physios. I’m on the way to better health now, but dear knows how long I’d have been out in the rain without my two super dogs.

Roscoe the hilarious dog is a cherished member of Katrina’s family

We’ve had Roscoe since he was 10 weeks old. He is a bundle of fun and trouble all rolled into one! He’s chewed pretty much everything in my house, but every time I look into his big, brown eyes I can’t stay angry for long.

A bundle of fun and trouble all rolled into one

Throughout lockdown he has kept our family entertained by learning new tricks and just being his happy self. If you’re sad, he comes over and sits on your lap to cheer you up, even though he’s a huge Labrador!

Roscoe is a ball of energy and jumps from the chair to the sofa doing zoomies, knocking over anything and everything in his path. He loves his ball and also enjoys going for a swim. Our dog is a hugely important member of our family, and everyone who meets him wants to keep him.

Billy has been a huge source of support for Patricia while her husband has been suffering from dementia

Billy is a rescue. He’s very special, as he rescued me, too. He was 14 months old when I got him, and he was three and a half kilos underweight, as he'd been kept in a cage with no exercise. He was a scared boy, but he soon came to trust me enough for me to train him.

He’s a clever Border Collie and picked things up very quickly. My husband, Tony, has dementia. And when he was still living at home, he couldn’t be left alone. So, when the carer came for an hour or so to get Tony ready for the day, Billy and I would escape to Woodbury Common, our happy place, and walk away our cares!

I really don’t know how I would have coped without him

Tony is now in a nursing home, and Billy and I visit him regularly. Billy has a routine – when he arrives, he goes to each resident in turn for them to give him a stroke, and he gives them his love in return. He’s always done this, right from day one. On the first day we visited, I let him off the lead and he went straight to the first wheelchair, sat beside it and lay his head very gently on the resident's lap.

I really don’t know how I would have coped with the stress of having a partner with dementia if I had not had my boy, Bill. Not only does he give me his unconditional love, but he also gives the same to Tony and his fellow residents, too. Billy is definitely my hero.

Georgina’s dog Sprocket has oodles of energy, and that’s exactly why she loves him so much

Sprocket is the best thing to ever have happened to our family. His endearing quirks never fail to put a smile on our faces. For instance, he always runs with his legs so straight he looks like a cartoon, and in the evening, he huffs and puffs very loudly before dramatically opening his pen, just to let us know he wants to go to bed.

He can sometimes be a bit of a diva

He’s a tiny bundle of energy and always ready to play. I wouldn’t say he’s spoilt, but he is well-loved and so always enjoys – and expects – a cuddle or two in our bed. He can sometimes be bit of a diva, and we often find ourselves having to pause the TV because he’s making a racket by digging around or barking because he wants to go out.

None of this really matters though, because our little pup is such a sweetheart. We love him for all of his funny habits and his adorable personality.

Whether she’s stealing tea towels or picking up things they drop, Zayat is always making Mandy and her family laugh with her cheeky antics

Zayat is such a character. She does so many funny things, and always makes us laugh. She’s also very clever, so if we drop anything, even if it’s tiny, she’ll find it, put it between her lips and look at us. Then we’ll ask her ‘what’ve you got?’, and she finally spits it out so we can see what it is.

We call her the phantom tea towel snatcher

We can hide anything, say ‘go find it’ and she would sniff it out. She often understands what we’re saying, so she knows people by name, and can read our body language. If we need cheering up, Zayat will always make us feel better.

She loves to take our socks off and our hats. We call her the phantom tea towel snatcher as she will steal the tea towel at any opportunity. We don't even realise she’s taken it as she does it so craftily, then she runs off with it so proudly. Life would be very dull without Zayat – she’s a one off!