This episode of The Animal Welfare Junction podcast takes place during the My Dog is My Home and Found House 10th Anniversary celebration in Cincinnati, OH. These organizations help individuals experiencing homelessness with their pets.

This episode contains the stories of four individuals who, for different reasons, found themselves homeless along with their animal companions. They share their stories of heartbreak and hope, and how Found House and My Dog is My Home helped them along their journey. For more information, visit www.mydogismyhome.org and www.foundhouse.org

Mentioned in this episode:

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The Animal Welfare Junction is part of the Keep It Humane Podcast Network. Visit keepithumane.com/podcastnetwork to find us and our amazing animal welfare podcast partners.

Hi, and welcome to the Animal Welfare Junction.

2

This is your host, Dr.

3

G, and our music is written

and produced by Mike Sullivan.

4

I was able to spend a few hours with

very lovely people from My Dog is My Home

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and from FoundHouse, these organizations

that are in the, in the business of

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helping people experiencing homelessness

or that are housing insecure and taking

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care of themselves and their animals.

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So, really important, work because

we care about the animals, but if

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we don't take care of the people

that care for these animals, then

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we're really not, not doing much.

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So this episode is going to

be, uh, several clips that I

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got during my experience at

that 10th anniversary reunion.

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So, uh, I'm going to say there's going

to be a lot of, uh, different audio,

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different, um, it's a little bit of

fuzziness and graininess and some

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of the things, but hopefully you're

going to get the, the information

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and understand the important

work that these groups are doing.

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So hope you enjoy this.

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I am here With Christine Kim

from My Dog is My Home and

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Garrett Parson from Found House.

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Thank you so much for inviting me

and this has been an amazing event.

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So can you let our listeners know

what the purpose of this event is?

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Christine Kim: It's our joint

10 year anniversary celebration.

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So both My Dog is My Home and the Pet

Support Program have been working for

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10 years to keep families together

with their animals because we recognize

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them as parts of our families.

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So we decided to join forces and

throw a big party, um, and to reflect

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on the places that we've been and

where we're hoping to go in the

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next 10, 20, 30 years and infinity.

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Yeah.

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DrG: Excellent.

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And during this event, we're going

to hear from different individuals

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that have been clients of yours.

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So what are, what are the things that

we're going to be hearing about today?

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Garrett Parsons: You're going to be

hearing really one, you know, what these

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people's experiences were, you know,

their lived experience, uh, with housing

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insecurity, with homelessness, with an

animal at their side, and how important

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that animal is to them in their life.

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Um, that's what you're

going to be hearing.

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DrG: And from what I understand,

the need is a lot bigger than

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what you guys can offer, right?

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Like, about how many people ask for help

and how many people of those can you help?

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Garrett Parsons: Yeah, at the

found house pet support program,

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we sheltered 131 animals last

year, but we had to say no to 618.

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So that just shows you right there that

we need to keep expanding and growing

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so we can keep more families together.

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DrG: So what is the purpose

of the pictures and the things

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that we're seeing here today?

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Christine Kim: Oh, well, actually, this

is where my dog is my home started.

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It was really with the storytelling

because we feel like that's

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really the most impactful.

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that we can do is to share people's

experiences and amplify their voices.

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Um, I'm a big nerd and I appreciate

research and I think that's super

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important, but honestly, when you

share data and reports and academic

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journals and stuff like that,

it is not half as impactful as

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somebody's true lived experience.

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Um, and so this exhibit, all the

photographs, all the stories are really

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about hitting people in their hearts.

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DrG: Anybody that's listening, how

can they support your programs?

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Garrett Parsons: Yeah, absolutely.

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You can go either to found house.

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org or the my dog is my

home website, which is

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Christine Kim: my dog is my home.

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org.

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Garrett Parsons: I

could have guessed that.

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Um, there are both functions on those

websites to donate to our organizations.

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DrG: So now I want to share

with you four stories that

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were shared during that event.

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Uh, so get your tissues ready

because they are definitely going

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to tug at your heartstrings.

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Leslie Hutchinson: My Dog is

My Home storytelling program

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is incredibly important.

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Always, policy and programs should

be influenced by the people who have

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had the experience in their lives

of being homeless with their pets.

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So we feel like this is one of

the most important parts of our

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program with My Dog is My Home.

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One of our storytellers isn't

here today, so someone else

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is going to share for them.

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But we're going to start

right now with Leslie.

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Leslie Hutchinson is an animal

advocate who loves to connect people

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and animals with resources they need.

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She has experienced homelessness

with her older cat, Punk, and has

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worked with Found House several

times to keep her family together.

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Welcome, Leslie.

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Applause

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Um, I'm Leslie.

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I was born and bred in Cincinnati.

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I'm 61 years young.

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Um, I left Cincinnati in

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And when I was in Kentucky, I was working

for Subway, uh, food station, and on my

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way home one day, I'm out, listening,

and as I'm walking, I hear this meow.

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And the next thing I see is

this little black drowned rat.

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So I put her in my, in my backpack, and

I look around to see if anybody's out.

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I mean, it's storming,

storming, nobody's out.

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Put her in my backpack, and

start walking home with her.

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And she kept trying to get out

and I kept calling her a punk.

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So that's how she became named Punk.

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I forgot my pictures today.

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Sorry.

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Well, 2017 I came back to Cincinnati,

moved in with some friends.

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Punk got to go with me.

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I moved into my own place

through GCD and Excel.

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It went up in smoke two weeks

after I moved in due to a tenant.

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Ended up staying in a hotel.

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Went to stay with other friends.

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and ended up having to leave there

because I wasn't on the lease.

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Now, through this all, I got Punk

with me and I've got a killer case

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worker named Caleb Breland through G.

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C.

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B.

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Who's no longer there.

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She introduces me to Garrett at

the laundromat in Walnut Hills.

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And I'm tripping.

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I don't want to give my cat up.

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I've had none of these other animals at

other times when, you know, things happen.

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I have a dog that she's

found and he had to go.

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So I really didn't want to do it,

but my tent where I was staying was

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basically half a mile from the shelter.

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So I'd get, I'd go down

every day to see Punk.

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During her first visit,

she got sick on me.

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They took her out of her kennel, gave her

her own office, put her name on the door.

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And I think Garrett had to take

her to the vet like three times.

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And he wouldn't call me until

he got her back there because he

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knew that I would have lost it.

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That would have been the end of

me standing here today, honestly.

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She is everything to me.

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I have two more now on top

of her, but she's everything.

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Got housed in a, in a living, I was

living with other people in a sexual

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offending building, but I needed a place

to stay because I wanted my cat back.

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Went, stayed there, ended up

having to have surgery on both

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of my legs, ended up in a nursing

home, couldn't take Punk with me.

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So, of course, Garrett

comes to the rescue again.

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He has Punk that time

for about four months.

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And at that time I couldn't go visit

her because of my legs and everything.

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And, um, I was in a nursing home.

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So he'd send me pictures, and she was

actually in foster back, back then.

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She was actually not down at the shelter.

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Get a job with a nanny, get my cat back.

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Go to Indiana.

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It doesn't work out.

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Call GCD.

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They can't get me back to Cincinnati.

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Call Garrett.

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They send a taxicab costing 200 to

get me back to Cincinnati with my cat.

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They leave, they leave the shelter

open an extra hour so I can deliver

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Punk to make sure she's taken care of.

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Now, the first time I went to

the tent, I actually tried to

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make an outdoor litter box.

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She disappeared on me that first night,

and I was on a main street, and I

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really thought I was going to lose her.

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At 3 o'clock in the

morning she shows back up.

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And since then, I'm, I panic.

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I mean, if she's in another room

and I don't see her here, I panic.

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But, got her back after that

situation, ended up in another housing

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situation that didn't work out.

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And where I'm at now, I've been

for two years, thanks mostly

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to Garrett and the Found House.

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I still have Punk.

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I have a two year old male named

Peep who walks around my house.

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They're both my cats.

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They're both solid black.

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And her name is Peep, and she peeps

when she walks around the house.

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And she's as mean as a snake.

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You can't pick her up.

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You can't pet her.

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Unless she wants you to, and then

she'll come over and love on you.

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And now I have a third cat who

just, my daughter just decided

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to bring straight to my house.

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And of course, Punk, my oldest, doesn't

like anybody, but she tolerates on them.

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Garrett's getting ready to take the

third cat for me to get it fixed.

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But without the found house,

I wouldn't have my cat.

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I'm also on a site called Next Door.

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And I advocate a lot for the found house.

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I mean, somebody will say,

I'm not ready to be homeless.

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And it's like, uh uh.

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You need to call this person.

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If they can't do something, they'll

at least send you somewhere else.

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And now I'm trying to get as many

resources as I can, because as soon as I

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left Thursday, I got a phone call on my

messenger, a messenger saying, Hey, this

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girl's getting put out of her apartment.

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What does she do?

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She has two cats.

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And these are just people that I know from

the street or from my, from my networking.

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And I do what I can.

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You know, I've got people that help me.

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If I can help them, just like

doing this, Punk has been in.

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This was done in a 2023 calendar

actually for the found house.

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She's December for 24

25 calendar for Paws.

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She's done a channel 12 news report

and this is the second event she's

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done here and anything this man needs.

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I even opened my home to strangers

if they need some place because I

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keep an extra couch because I been

there And I didn't, I've never been

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homeless due to drugs or anything else.

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It's just been two bad situations.

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And when I hear people talk

about the drugs and everything,

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it's not always the case.

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And you guys, and people have to never

judge a book or never judge a cover.

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Always read the book because you

never know what you're going to find.

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And like I said, I'm so

glad to be part of this.

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And I'm so glad you

guys all showed up too.

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I will keep advocating for at

least another 30 years because

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I know I'm going to need her.

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My mom's 88, still works four

days a week, raises dogs.

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I mean, this is how much

of an animal family I am.

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And she just lost an 18

year old dog the other day.

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And a friend of mine passed away and

she's like, well, one of my dogs died.

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And I'm like, okay, well that's not

the same as a person, but I get it.

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That's your, you've had him for 18 years.

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So I, I get it.

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So again, thank you guys, and I will

send this off to the next person.

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Sorry if I talk too long.

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Lauren Parsons for Steven: Hey everyone.

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Um, so like Shoshana

said, my name is Lauren.

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I am a social worker.

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I work at Over the

Rhine Community Housing.

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Uh, we are a non profit, pet inclusive,

affordable housing provider here

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in the neighborhood that you're

in right now, over the Rhine.

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Um, and this is Stephen

and his dog, Future.

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So, Stephen was really sorry he couldn't

make it today, but he would be honored to

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be able to share his story with you all.

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Stephen survived some significant

trauma, including being in

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a terrible accident in 2019.

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Following this and a series of challenges

that led Steven to lose his housing, he

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said, I went from living with a friend to

living on the street with Future in tow.

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He was four.

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He's my little warrior.

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Unflappable and steady

and by my side everywhere.

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I had never been homeless before and I

truly did not understand homelessness.

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I never considered all the ways a

person could become homeless in a flash.

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So I got an education in

homelessness with my dog.

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All I had was Future,

and all he had was me.

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And because I was triggered by

losing everything in my life,

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we really needed each other.

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I could look in his little face and see

that he looked stressed and worried, and

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I would tell him how much I loved him

and that we would always be together.

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I would never leave him if it

meant sleeping on the street.

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Well, guess what?

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We were sleeping on the street,

in a sleeping bag, with cardboard

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boxes like out of a movie.

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I'm no spring chicken,

and it was winter time.

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Unable to find shelter for me and

Future, I would stay with a friend

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here or there for a few nights, then

maybe a hotel room when I had some

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money, and then back on the street.

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All stability was gone,

but we were together.

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I could see the stress on his face,

wondering what was going on, but in those

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moments, I would attempt to reassure

him that everything would be okay.

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Nothing could have prepared me for all

that would happen living day to day, place

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to place, as a homeless person with a dog.

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We were not allowed in many

businesses, hotels, or stores, which

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made things much more difficult.

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Every day was a battle to survive.

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After sleeping outside behind a church

downtown, I went to the VA, and I was

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introduced to my social worker there, Amy.

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Amy was so instrumental in helping me

navigate the obstacles and agencies

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on my journey that would eventually

get me and Future off the street.

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She was able to help

me get a bed at the V.

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A.

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Dormitory at Goodwill and also

introduced me to Garrett Parsons, who

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worked diligently to get Future a spot

at the found house during this time.

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Being separated from him was so

difficult for me and was also hard

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on him, but it was necessary for us

both to ultimately get stable housing.

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I was able to visit with Future

every week, and the people at Found

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House were kind and understanding.

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Future was well cared for

during his stay at the shelter.

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And in reference to Future's name, Stephen

said, The only way to describe how I

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felt the day that he was born is that I

looked at him and he was so wonderful.

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I felt this burst of pure joy, and I knew

my future would be better than my past.

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I almost called him Wonderful

and then decided on Future.

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Two syllables are easier than three.

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And so I'm proud to also now call

Steven and Future tenants of ours.

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Um, they moved into our apartment,

um, in our new building called

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the Barrister Apartments downtown

here earlier this spring.

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Um, and so this picture is actually,

I think Garrett took this the

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day the two of them moved into

their new apartment together.

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So, um, Thank you for letting

me share this with you.

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Jillian McMillian: Our next

storyteller is Jillian McMillian.

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She's an advocate for

human and animal rights.

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She's, uh, and for the Human Animal Bond,

a co sheltering enthusiast, and last but

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not least, a volunteer and storytelling

advocate with My Dog is My Home.

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Jillian is a person with lived

experience in homelessness,

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the loss of emotional support

to cats during homelessness

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and mental health conditions.

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Jillian used all of her experiences to

get certified in cat behavior, to advocate

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with her full heart, and to continue

to learn how to fight for the needs

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of many who haven't yet found a voice.

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Jillian plans to use her certification

to assist in furthering the fight for

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the human animal bond and the rights to

keep full families together and housed.

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Thanks, Jillian.

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I'm gonna have to give you

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Ok, you're gonna have to

give me a minute here.

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I'm a bit of a mess.

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Like, constantly.

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Like, all the time.

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This is normal.

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Um, my story is a bit different,

um, I decided on writing a letter, I

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can't even, what did I do that for?

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I decided to write a letter to

my pets because unfortunately

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they didn't come home with us.

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Okay, here we go.

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Good luck to you guys.

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Dear Wasabi, Sashimi, and Kitsune KitKat,

I'm in hope that this letter reaches your

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hearts in a way that can heal all of us.

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I still remember when you

became part of our family.

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Wasabi and Sashimi, when you came to us,

Sai was about a year old, give or take.

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Sai is my daughter.

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She's my daughter.

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Um, it was around two thousand, uh,

two hundred, Oh my god, it's one thing.

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Two thousand ten.

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We had recently come out of homelessness

when we heard that you were born.

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When my sister Elaine told us that

you were old enough to leave the

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nest, we hustled out miles, miles, and

miles away in our dodgy little Mazda.

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We came, we went, and we got

you to come home with us.

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You made our hearts full.

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It was incredibly warming to see whenever

we came home from being out for the day.

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It was a little bit of a sobbing, a

tale of heartbreak, of excitement.

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Sometimes he would run to the food

bowl and start eating while meowing,

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and there's nothing like the sound of

a cat meowing while they're eating.

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What really, really gets me is that

Saya still remembers that at age 15.

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Even though she wasn't even

two yet when that had happened.

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And my dear Shin, when you were

decided, you would plop down onto

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your side and just start purring.

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How could we not pet you when you

look like a fluffy, vibrating pillow?

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The two of you really make the perfect

beginning to the perfect feeling

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of wholeness in our whole family.

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It was me, a single mom with a complex

PTSD, a curious daughter, miles away from

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a family we already felt rejected from.

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We were on our way, on our own, in

many ways, until we united with you.

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Your existence made me feel

loved, accepted, and worthy

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of being loved and needed.

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I still look at old pictures

of you two, cuddled up.

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Shimi, you were the brunt.

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Wasabe, you were the big one.

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But by the time we moved to our

next apartment, which was bigger,

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in Sayville, two years later,

Shimi, you were the big one.

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When I was having symptoms of depression,

the two of you became my safe place.

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When I was anxious, both of you

would take your positions on me,

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wouldn't move until I moved you.

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Even then, you would make your

way back to me or would stay

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close until I was still again.

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Wasabi, you were also

an anxious one yourself.

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You would climb up on me and stay

on my chest as if to calm me.

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And within recent years, I

realized what you were doing.

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You were syncing heartbeats with me

so we could calm together, bringing

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us both to a resting heart rate.

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In the midst of our time in Seville.

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There was a period of my life where

I was having suicidal thoughts, but

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because of you, I wouldn't make a plan.

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I was mostly bed bound.

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I say mostly because I would

only get up to go to the

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bathroom and feed you and Saya.

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At that time, I only ate because

I needed to eat something.

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Something in my stomach to take my meds.

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Yeah, I was that bad.

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I entered a stage of chronic

suicidal ideation because I couldn't

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bear the thought of loosing you.

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I couldn't imagine a world where Sai

would be safe with a family member or

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my best friend, but I could only see

darkness when I imagined you without me.

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I would frequently have vivid,

intrusive thoughts imagining terrible

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tragedies that could happen and

see the two of you roaming desolate

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streets aimlessly trying to survive.

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The very thought of you not

having me to care for you and

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keep you safe shook me to my core.

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It was scarier than death.

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And what, and it's kept, it's what kept

me from making the irreversible decision

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to leave this earth by my own hand.

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And of course, the journey through this

season of ideation was rough, but it

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helped keep me fighting for you, for

Saya, and for this beautiful family.

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Shortly after, I

registered you all on ESA.

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com, uh, org.

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Everybody, ready?

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Scam!

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Just in case something would happen to

me or there was an emergency, this way

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emergency services would know to look

for you or where you belong, but yeah.

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Scam.

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As I healed, Shimi became the

protector and Sabi, you became

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the analyzer and the healer.

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Shimi, I vividly remember how alpha you

became when my alpha sister came over.

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It was like a showdown.

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The only thing we were missing

were the tumbleweeds blowing by.

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And the growling you would

do, and the hissing you did.

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Hiding underneath the couch as if

to watch Alicia's every single move.

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It was only every time that she came by.

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And it would only happen

when she came over.

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I knew it was a battle of who's

in charge of protecting us.

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When KitKat came to us, Shami

and Sabi were not happy at all.

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Not at first.

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But eventually you let her in and treated

her as if she were your own little baby.

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Kit, you were mostly with Saya.

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You were her emotional support.

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The way you would meow was so adorable.

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You sounded like you were saying, Meow!

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We had a little joke

that you were part of.

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We would say, What do we want, Kit?

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Cat?

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When do we want her?

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Meow!

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I miss your big paws on my face.

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Whenever I picked you up for some reason,

you needed to put a paw on my cheek.

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And it was always cold, but very warm.

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The three of you really

completed our family.

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And I miss sleeping with you.

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The positions you took, when I would

climb into bed, you would pin me down.

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And if I moved, one of you would

go flying, so I just stayed still.

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It was nice and warm, and I felt

my safest with you in my bed.

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There were quite a few things

that led us to part ways.

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One of which is that the emergency

shelter that we moved into refused

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to acknowledge the rights we had as a

family, and that's for us to be together.

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We had to put you with a foster,

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and 2020, I felt lost without you.

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There were times when I would wake up

in the middle of the night thinking

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that you were pinning me down in the

bed, but and then I realized it was

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just a heavy spot in my comforter.

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Shimi, when I found that you passed away

at the foster's home, I felt so sick, like

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my life and Sia's life had been taken.

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Then to think about what you were

all going through there, and I

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wasn't around to protect you.

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I felt guilty for years after.

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Even now, I still picture

how terrified you were.

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I know logically it's not my fault, but

I still carried the weight emotionally.

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And I fought like hell for you.

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Even still, I look for Sabi

and Kit online, pet pages, or

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groups on Facebook all the time.

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Today, I do my best to honor every,

honor you in everything I do.

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And today, Sai and I are now housed in

a huge apartment with Sai's big brother.

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We've been out of the shelter

almost four years now.

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I completed school for cat behavior

and hopes to use my certification

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to prevent what has happened to us

from happening to other families.

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I've been part of an organization

that shares the same value of

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keeping families together, like ours.

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My dog's my home, yes.

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Thank you.

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Don't mind if I do.

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And with their encouragement, I'm still,

I'm able to tell my story to further

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fight for the families like ours.

434

You now have two fuzzy kitty

siblings named Cowboy and Bebop,

435

and I think you'd love them.

436

Cowboy is almost human, where Bebop, we're

still kinda unsure that she's from Earth.

437

We adopted them as soon as we felt strong

enough and safe enough to love again.

438

I still am riddled with guilt

at times and wonder if you

439

miss us as much as we miss you.

440

We'll always look for you.

441

And I hope wherever you

are, you are happy and safe.

442

I dream about you often.

443

And Shimi, rest well.

444

May we meet again.

445

Thank you.

446

Ryan Smith: Ryan Smith is going to join

us to talk about his experience of being

447

homeless with his dogs Crimson and Sable.

448

Some of you already got to meet Crimson

and Sable when they were running around.

449

I'm sure there will be time

to meet them again, um, after

450

Ryan is done with his story.

451

Hi.

452

My name is Ryan Smith and these are my two

girls you've met, uh, Sable and Crimson.

453

We are here today to share a story only

454

We found the house full of

remarkable, loving, caring, honest,

455

compassionate and devoted people.

456

Our genesis family.

457

We recently found out that we

had family all over the world and

458

that we were invited to attend

the anniversary celebration to be

459

introduced to all our relatives.

460

I never knew our family was so huge.

461

I couldn't believe it.

462

We not only found housing, we

now have a home to call our own.

463

I was originally born in Middletown, Ohio.

464

Sable and Crimson are sisters born

in Simpsonville, South Carolina.

465

One year apart, they both had the same

mother, whose name was Delightful.

466

But, different daddies,

even in the fur world.

467

Sable's father's name was Rascals,

and Crimson's father's name was

468

Elvis, from Memphis, Tennessee.

469

I got a Sable March the 1st, 2016.

470

42 days later, I started a series

of surgeries for colon cancer, which

471

resulted in 8 procedures from April

472

Crimson came along a leap a year later.

473

January 10th, 2017, Sable and Crimson,

my fur children, my pride and joy.

474

Since I started a family, I've had many

life changing medical issues, rejections,

475

disappointments, and obstacles in our way.

476

However, through it all, Sable and

Crimson has stayed right by my side.

477

Here are some of the things my

Children and I have had to endure

478

in order to remain a family.

479

And it has all been worth it.

480

From South Carolina, after recovering

from surgery, relocated, we

481

relocated to Lebanon, Tennessee,

in order to be near my family.

482

And it was great.

483

I had not seen my older

brother in over 19 years.

484

And I contacted him and asked if it

would be okay to come and was there

485

anything that I could do for him.

486

While I was there, he replied, All I want

is some of your good home cooked meals.

487

Labor Day, September 2021, we

arrived in Cincinnati, Ohio,

488

and we've been there ever since.

489

My brother, due to medical

issues, was allergic to my girls.

490

I was forced to leave my girls with

a relative in Middletown, Ohio.

491

He asked me just to move in with

him, and we, and I found two jobs.

492

And actually met my property

manager on my way to work one day.

493

I walked out of the Sunoco and I was

trying to get into her car by accident.

494

We both were riding in hybrids, blue.

495

And, uh, she said, what

are you trying to do?

496

Why are you in my car?

497

We connected instantly.

498

She called my girls

two little house shoes.

499

I was my brother's caregiver

the last ten months of his life.

500

Living with him and even

while living in my car.

501

He asked me to leave because of a

disagreement between me and his woman.

502

I deal with no hesitation.

503

Well, property taxes were, uh,

paid current in Middletown, so

504

the girls had to go from there.

505

Snow and ice everywhere.

506

Two jobs.

507

Boarding the dogs.

508

When I,

509

When it, When could it

was rough, I don't know.

510

dogs.

511

When I could, it was rough,

but we stayed together.

512

I was given three referrals,

nothing for Sable and Crimson.

513

I could have packed them in a tote

bag and they would have never knew

514

they were with me sleeping in the

car at a nearby family dollar, uh,

515

which went on for quite some time.

516

We met an older lady who

would wave at us and speak.

517

I love your dog.

518

She was saying.

519

She would eventually offer us

warmth, a place for me to take a

520

shower, change clothes and rest.

521

We had to go sometimes.

522

Other times we could hang out for a day.

523

She was on government rental assistance.

524

It wasn't permanent, but it gave

me enough time to meet our hand

525

up, not our hand out, Garrett.

526

He told me I could bring the girls to

him, but there was no room in the kennel.

527

But then he would keep them in his

office until something became available.

528

He met the girls.

529

I put a pee pad on his floor.

530

I signed some forms and was

given a copy of my responsibility

531

and visitation rights.

532

Genesis, a real family.

533

Finally a safe place for my girls

while I put our lives back together.

534

My Sable and Crimson had

on to go to the second day.

535

They charmed the way into

Garrett's heart and his apartment.

536

Garrett was very impressed by the girls

health, their demeanor, and mannerism,

537

which made me feel as tall as a giraffe.

538

Because I was feeling like a

total failure about what the

539

girls had been going through.

540

What a year.

541

Garrett had their vaccinations

completed and also had them chipped.

542

Sable and Crimson love the beauty shop

. That's at the top of my daddy do list.

543

We moved in our apartment and

544

I was later informed at the end of

May that due to sleeping in my car

545

and a history of DVTs I had developed.

546

18 superficial blood clots in my

left leg and 8 DVTs in my right leg.

547

I couldn't walk.

548

I was scheduled for a

549

I was released from the

550

After my surgery, I was asked

to complete a wellness check

551

on my brother by his daughter.

552

I along with the Chevy

police in Cincinnati, Ohio

553

discovered him deceased in his

554

After I came home, I secured employment

with the all inclusive radical

555

ministry, but due to problems with

my legs, other health issues and

556

contracting COVID, not to mention that

in December, our apartment had flooded.

557

In the midst of the pandemic COVID 19.

558

Recovering from a thrombectomy,

my depression would set back in,

559

and if it couldn't get any worse,

I totally drifted into a very dark

560

place, which I couldn't get out of.

561

And by April the 29th, 2022, my big

brother Garrett picked up the two girls,

562

and I was admitted into Beckett Springs

Psychiatric Hospital for 30 days.

563

While I was there, my new family took care

of the girls until I arrived back home.

564

It was back to my old self again.

565

We moved into our present

566

we have been there ever since.

567

Sable and Crimson, I hate to brag,

but I have 26 plus a few more

568

reasons that my children, that

my fur children have given to me.

569

A.

570

They are right.

571

We found our family ancestry.

572

B.

573

They believe in me more than I did myself.

574

C.

575

They comfort me and they console me.

576

D.

577

They're dedicated to me.

578

E.

579

They energize me and they are

excellent children at all times.

580

They are faithful, grateful,

and they taught me humility.

581

When we didn't have anywhere

to go, the letter I will

582

come back to at the very end.

583

J.

584

They jolted me back to life physically,

spiritually, mentally, and emotionally.

585

That's why I'm here today.

586

They are kind.

587

They are loyal.

588

They have excellent manners.

589

They never talk back.

590

They obey me.

591

Part of me is hard to stop boasting.

592

Thank you.

593

They quiet.

594

They are quiet, and they quietly, they

re, they respect me and they respond

595

to my every call as they serve me.

596

T.

597

They taught me the true meaning

of unconditional Love U.

598

They understand me.

599

V.

600

They value me.

601

They are the reason why I live,

move, and have my very being today.

602

They are my X, not like the ex,

but they ex out all the hurt and

603

pain I have experienced in my life.

604

Y is represented in our story as

only a symbol for the homeless

605

people with fur children.

606

My children are zealous.

607

Thanks for allowing us to share our story.

608

The letter I, our reasons for being

homeless with fur children, infinity.

609

Thank you.

610

DrG: So I hope that those

stories made you think.

611

Um, things to learn from it is to not

be so judgmental and to understand

612

the importance of the animals.

613

You know, all the people that say, if you

can't afford your animal, don't have it.

614

How can you look at these people and

tell them you don't deserve an animal?

615

You don't deserve that dog or

that cat that, that fills your

616

heart and keeps you going.

617

I mean, literally to, as you heard, some

of them get up each day just because

618

of that dog or cat that is there.

619

So if you are so inclined, visit the

pages for the hosting organizations

620

for My Dog is My Home, mydogismyhome.

621

org and foundhouse.

622

org.

623

Learn about them and see if there's

something that you can, that you can do.

624

They, of course, always need donations,

but if you can't donate, there's,

625

there's always ways to help by sharing

the information, by letting people know.

626

So thank you so much for spending

this time, for listening to these

627

stories, and as always, thank you for

listening, and thank you for caring.