Wednesday April 29, 2020 ~ VICTORIA
by Mary Brooke ~ West Shore Voice News
This week it was announced that BC Housing would be working to relocate people from street encampments to instead live indoors, in response to the COVID-19 crisis.
Along with those campers will come their pets.
Today the BC Ministry of Housing said that in Victoria, all the hotel space secured so far accepts pets. “Outreach staff are working with campers to match those with pets to hotel spaces,” it was said in a statement to West Shore Voice News.
BC Housing says it is in the process of negotiating leases to open additional hotel and motels in Victoria, a majority of which will also permit pets.
“Non-profit operators are taking pet food donations and distributing to guests as needed,” as Ministry spokesperson said today.
Pets are part of the family:
The placement of homeless people who are being moved indoors under orders by the BC Government due to concerns for their safety during COVID-19, includes consideration for people being part of family groups.
In many cases those are not people related by blood as family, but in their circumstances have developed family-like bonds and attachments in their homeless lifestyle.
For many of those people, their on-street pet has become an important part of their family. And today Provincial Health Officer Dr Bonnie Henry says that pets can be taken along to the new indoor locations.
She called it a “very important consideration”, that “for all of us in a time of crises, that family and pets are part of that”.
“There is a provision for pets,” said Dr Henry about the homeless relocation project that was announced on Saturday April 25 by Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction Shane Simpson, the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Judy Darcy and the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth.
Dr Henry says the provision for pets “varies depending on the place and where they are”.
============ IF YOU WISH TO DONATE PET FOOD:
Groups accepting donations for pet food and supports:
Victoria Cool Aid: Financial donations can be made online, where you can specify the ‘Pets in Need’ fund, which is used for supplying medical services to pets of people who are homeless, as well as pet food supplies. They are discouraging the drop-off of pet food supplies right now, due to physical distancing during COVID-19.
SAFARS Pet Food Bank & Feral Cat Rehabilitation Center: Financial donations can be made by etransfer or by mailing a cheque. Donations of pet food can be made in Saanich, Victoria and Sooke at various locations (phone ahead to see what hours, due to the physical distancing requirements of COVID-19).