By Emerson Malone

Despite the dreary gray clouds, Sunday morning, April 22nd, was a good time to be a dog in Santa Barbara.

While many of Santa Barbara’s homeless residents took advantage of the free food supplied by preacher Hank Dorst during his Pershing Park “Hank Show,”  volunteers from San Roque Pet Hospital supplied veterinary care for the guests’ four-legged companions.

“It serves an important role in Santa Barbara,” said Dr. Evelyn Brand, one of the volunteer vets. “We have a lot of homeless pets here.”

Vaccination of pets, flea/tick control, rabies shots, deworming, extra food and medications were among the free services the veterinarians provided…

“These dogs are all therapy dogs,” Brand said. “They should have a sign around their neck because I think they help stabilize these people.”

The volunteer doctors also gave out certificates to prove that the dogs had had their rabies vaccinations, which remedies a common problem for homeless pet owners, Brand said.

“[They] get hassled for not having a rabies vaccine [for their animals],” she said. “[This way] they will have proof and they won’t have their dog carted away to animal control. That’s a big thing they come here for. They want to keep their friend.”

It was the eighth time in three years these volunteers have put on the event.

The pets nursed were generally in good health, said Dr. Ann O’Brien Welton,  an associate veterinarian at San Roque Pet Hospital.

While on the streets, many homeless residents take good care of their companions. Still, oral hygiene and flea infestations are among the biggest problems that come up.

“There are people who come religiously to make sure they get what they need from us,” Welton said. “We try to educate them and let them know that flea and tick control is really important.”

WillBridge resident Marjorie Brandon, who brought her dog Foxy to the park, said she feels truly blessed by the service.

“I do my own research online and … take her to Vetco [Clinic] for flea baths,” Brandon said.

Foxy, a fox terrier and miniature pinscher mix, received a physical exam during which she was checked for fleas and given a shot for her coughing.

All the pet owners received chew toys and leashes for their pets.

“We try to give as much away as we can that is suitable for a dog,” said veterinarian technical assistant Nicole Dydasco. “… The pets are all they have, so it’s good to keep the animals healthy. It’s making them feel like they’re helping their pets. I’m glad we can do this.”

The Santa Barbara Humane Society and San Roque Pet Hospital donated the food, medication, and vaccines for the volunteers.

Photo of San Roque Pet Hospital Veternarian and Tech examining Foxy, a fox terrier and miniature pinscher mix. Fozy belongs to WillBrodge resident, Marjorie Brandon. 

By Emerson Malone

The Homeless Education and Legal Project (HELP) held its first event this past Sunday, a free screening of two documentaries on homelessness in Santa Barbara. The location was the Faulkner Gallery in The Santa Barbara Public Library.

HELP is the newly revived Homeless Coalition and is being led by homeless advocates Emily Allen, Nancy McCradie, David Hopkins, Suzanne Riordan and others. A free meal and information about the new coalition were provided to audience members.

“I haven’t been this happy in ten years with the way this coalition is going,” McCradie said.

“Krystal Freedom” and “Streets of Paradise,” the two documentary films, were screened for a crowd that included both homeless and non-homeless residents.

“Krystal,” named for McCradie’s daughter, told the story of homelessness in the 1980s in Santa Barbara and the challenges of raising a child while living in a van. One of the main issues addressed was the conflict of attempting to solve homeless issues without involving the homeless firsthand–a tactic HELP plans to avoid.

“We need to talk to people who are actually experiencing homelessness,” said attorney Emily Allen.

“Streets,” (2004), followed “Krystal” and was comprised of interviews with Santa Barbara’s homeless residents, asking them about being stigmatized, among other things.

It began with an interview with Tony, a disabled man who lived on a sidewalk. Tony spoke out against the harassment he receives from police and his precarious health condition before exposing his ankle, where maggots had colonized in an open wound.

Another interviewee was a man who had received a $70 ticket for sleeping outside.

“If I had $70,” he said, “I would be sleeping in a hotel room.”

Other interviews were with “Pirate”, a man with an eye patch who slept in an Isla Vista park; a heavy drinker who slept in Pershing Park and a man who demonstrated how to properly wash one’s hair with the water from a toilet tank.

“I’ve never met anyone who was hopeless, apathetic, or lost who wouldn’t be brought back with love,” said the late Babtunde Folalyemi, former City Councilman. “… We are all one people. That’s what we forget.”

The films were followed with a discussion about how to improve conditions for the homeless in our midst. The issues analyzed included how to register to vote, legal recourse and the costs of living at homeless shelters.

Permanent supportive housing, 24-hour access to shelters/services, multi-disciplinary street outreach and restorative justice principles are among HELP’s priorities.

The guests were invited to attend the April 17th Board of Supervisors meeting, where the status of the medical/mental health services provided to Santa Barbara County Inmates was discussed.

“The next step is to speak with elected officials,” Allen said.