SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 PETS Pets and their people People know how important pets are to their human companions. They are considered family because of the deep emotional connection mammals feel for each other. During a homelessness episode, people and their companions share the same encounters. They have to find food and shelter. They may need medical attention (for example getting vaccinations or pest treatment). The most important function of an animal companion is to have a sense of belonging to someone and not feel lonely. This is what makes the bond so strong. Being homeless with a pet carries additional challenges. Owners will skip meals in order to feed their companion. Shelters will turn people away if they have pets. Oftentimes the housing arena presents paywalls to people being able to stay with their companions after they find housing, usually additional fees and added rent. Or conditions that need to be met that are also costly. Here are the stories of two friends of mine and their companions who have recently found housing. Paul and Neoma JIM CLARK Groundcover vendor No. 139 asked Paul. “In front of Starbucks,” Paul replied. “He would come out and just, like, buy me whatever. And then, like, during that time, he got to know me, and he just likes to help dogs. So now we're very close.” “When you got your housing placement, what did you have to do to move Neoma in with you?” I asked. PauI replied, “I had to have three different pieces of paperwork. One of them was her chipping information, and then her vet records, and then her AKC certification” (which has a $50 fee attached). “I wouldn't have been able to do it by myself,” Paul confided. “because there's a lot that goes into it, with the paperwork and all that.” “Did Dylan help?” I asked. “Yeah,” Paul replied, “he helped, like, pretty much all of it. The only thing I did was raise her.” Paul describes Neoma as being happy and playful. But she did have an issue transferring from a homeless dog to a housed dog. “It took her some time to get used to apartment living. Like the first five minutes we were there, she shit in the house. I think she was thinking ‘everywhere is my bathroom because I live outside,’” he recalled. “Were you able to potty-train her?” I asked. “Yeah. I did it the same way my dad Paul lives on the northside of Ann Arbor with his pure-bred, blue-nosed American Pit Bull terrier Neoma. She is two-and-a-half years old. “I found her when she was a puppy. She was starving,” Paul tells me. He was homeless in February 2026 when they met. “At first we stayed in a tent, but the raccoons kept breaking in and stealing her food so we started sleeping downtown,” said Paul. Paul has a friend named Dylan who has been supporting him while he supports Neoma. Dylan helped him with her medical needs including a chip, food and occasional motel rooms when it was really cold. “Where did you meet Dylan?” I did to make our dogs listen. And that was if they went to the bathroom in the house, he took the back of their necks and shoved their noses in the poo, and then swatted them on their butt. And it worked. Now she waits for me to get home, but sometimes still if she has to go, then she has to go. I really wish she would use the bathroom rugs.” “I've always wondered why people couldn't train dogs to go in a box like cats,” I questioned. Paul answered, “I think it's because, like, back before we kind of domesticated cats, cats used to hide their poo so they wouldn't be tracked by the other cats. It's convenient how cats have gone in their boxes, because it was already bred into them to do that from nature. But dogs can just pretty much go anywhere.” “You said she’s not fixed. Are you gonna let her have puppies?” I asked. “Only if I find a purebred rednose, “ he answered, “and they have to be papered, so I can charge that price.” “That's smart,” I said. Paul continued, “Because I was thinking, like, I could give one away or two away, but I could benefit a lot from getting cash. I added it up, and it's like nine grand. And all you gotta do is feed them and clean up after them when they're gone.” “That's not a bad deal,” I said. “Are you going to do it?” “I might,” he replied, "but if I do it, I'm turning my bedroom into a den. It's just to have the puppies have their own space. And then when Neoma doesn't want to be bothered with them, she can step right over the gate.” “Do you think you'll ever be a dog trainer?” I asked. Paul replied, “I don't think I have the patience like that yet. But I think I would be a very good dog handler.” Josh and Angel Josh and I met three years ago when he was sheltering in a tent. Now he lives in an apartment on the east side of Ypsilanti with his partner and his animal companion, Angel the cat. “How did Angel come to live with you?” I asked. Josh replied, “She was only supposed to be a couple of weeks foster. I was helping a friend of a friend. I didn't even know her.” “You were just helping out a friend with pet sitting? How long ago did they drop her off?” I asked. “Two months,” Josh said. “They had got evicted, and they didn't want to keep the cats in the vehicle. They had found a place for everyone but her.” I asked Josh to describe Angel. “For being a Libra, she's temperamental,” he told me. “She likes being by herself. She doesn't like other animals. She really doesn't like kids. I had a couple of friends with two of the most beautiful little girls I've ever met in my life living here briefly. Every time a little one would come in, Angel would saunter off and be like ‘F this shit, I’m out.’” “Temperamental?” I asked. wouldn't come out and say hi?” “She “Normally she doesn't like strangers. Janice likes to point out how similar she and I are.” “You and the cat?” I confirmed. “Yeah. Like, she and I have a routine. see PETS page 13 GROUNDCOVER NEWS 9
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