Dogs Trust expands its mission to support homelessness services this festive season

This December, Together Through Homelessness at Dogs Trust will be distributing over 2,600 gift parcels to dog owners affected by homelessness across the UK as part of its Together Through Homelessness scheme.

 Each year, Dogs Trust brings festive cheer to the dogs of people experiencing homelessness by delivering ‘Christmas Parcels’ filled with collars, leads, coats, treats and balls. This year, in response to the reported rise in homelessness across the UK, Dogs Trust is scaling up its support, delivering more parcels than ever before – 30% more than in 2023.  
 
Together Through Homelessness has been providing support to people experiencing homelessness for over 30 years. Alongside distributing Christmas hampers, the service offers free veterinary treatments for dog owners experiencing homelessness and supports homelessness services to become pet friendly.  
 
In the past twelve months, Together Through Homelessness has funded over 1,600 vet treatments for dogs whose owners are experiencing or at risk of homelessness. 
 
The parcels are delivered via a network of more than 270 homelessness services around the country, all working to support people experiencing homelessness this Christmas. One of these is The Salvation Army. 
 
Clare Staniford, Salvation Army Assistant Director for Homelessness for the North West and East England area, said:

“We are really grateful to The Dogs Trust for providing these hampers, helping us create a happy environment for our residents and their pets this Christmas time. 
 
“We know how important dogs are to many of our residents, bringing them much joy and helping improve their overall wellbeing. To be able to acknowledge how much support they give to people with a little gift is a wonderful thing to do.”   
 

James Hickman, Head of Outreach Projects at Dogs Trust said:

“Everyone knows that the bond between a dog and its owner is a strong one, but for people experiencing homelessness, it can become an unbreakable lifeline. 
 
“With the rise in homelessness and the ever-increasing cost of living, the need for support this year is even more crucial.  
 
“At Dogs Trust, we are committed to supporting people experiencing homelessness, and thanks to the generosity of Dogs Trust supporters, this year we’ll be able to spread more Christmas cheer and help over 2600 dogs celebrate the season alongside their best friends.” 
 

Michael and his dog Joey with his Christmas gifts at Salvation Army Swan Lodge Lifehouse, Sunderland

If you work for a homelessness service and would like to read more about how Together Through Homelessness can support you to become dog-friendly, click here.