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Publication Date: 2016
Street-involved youth represent a particularly vulnerable subsection of the homeless population and are at increased risk of health problems, substance abuse, and depression. Qualitative research has demonstrated that animal companions help homeless youth cope with loneliness, are motivators for positive change, such as decreasing drug or alcohol use, provide unconditional love without judgement, and improve youths’ sense of health. To quantitati...
Publication Date: 2012
This thesis is comprised of three studies examining the effects of pet ownership on street-involved youth in Ontario. As a relatively new area of study, issues surrounding pet ownership among homeless youth were first explored qualitatively. The first two studies utilized a series of one-on-one interviews with both pet-owning youth and youth service professionals to determine the major roles, relationships, challenges and effects that pets have i...