Providing free veterinary care to the pets of people experiencing homelessness in Glasgow
Founded in 2014, Trusty Paws offers a monthly drop-in service in Glasgow, Scotland providing free accessible veterinary care to the pets of any person experiencing homelessness.
Our clinics are organized in partnership with local established homeless support charities in Glasgow and the surrounding areas.
All treatment at the clinics is provided by University of Glasgow veterinary students under the supervision of our qualified vets at no cost to our eligible service users. This not only provides an amazing practical learning opportunity for the students, but also a platform to consider the importance of the human-animal bond within the homeless and vulnerable populations of society.
Who we are
Sadly, homelessness is on the rise.
Last year in Scotland alone, 28,000 households were assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness.
Many of these people have pets.
When facing homelessness, the security and companionship of a pet is a comfort many people will value above all else, and as a result people often try to protect their pet’s health and safety ahead of their own.
We believe the bond between a person experiencing homelessness and their pet is profound, and often crucial to providing hope and chance at recovery; as such owning a dog should not be a barrier to accessing support or having a safe place to sleep.
