Can Idaho Do More To Help Feed Dogs Owned By Homeless People?

Homelessness is something every state in America has in common. A large number of homeless people are living on the streets with dogs, and in the past decade, efforts have been made in some cities to make sure these animals don't starve to death.

There are an estimated 500,000 homeless people in the United States, according to census.gov. Many of these individuals struggling to find food and shelter on a daily basis are traveling on foot with animal companions, and in most cases they are dogs. Idaho has approximately 2,000 homeless people across the state, according to bigcountrynewsconnection.com.

It's easy to blame a homeless person for putting the animal in this type of situation, but that doesn't accomplish anything, and at the end of the day the pet is still going to bed hungry.

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Most homeless people tend to seek shelter near cities because that's where the food and medical care is. Boise has multiple food pantries available for the homeless, and some of them stock food for dogs. Donations are also accepted at some pet food stores and other businesses throughout the city, which helps keep these pantries stocked.

For those without a permanent home or living in emergency shelters not near major cities, it's become a major problem getting food to animals who are living on the streets with their human companions.

Some cities have street vet programs and pet food lockers set up to assist homeless people with keeping their animals fed. Perhaps specific mobile pet food donation centers need to be established to further help the cause.

It's easy to blame a homeless person for putting the animal in this type of situation, but that doesn't accomplish anything, and at the end of the day the pet is still going to bed hungry.