{"id":11150,"date":"2019-05-02T07:43:39","date_gmt":"2019-05-02T11:43:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress-537697-2997182.cloudwaysapps.com\/?p=11150"},"modified":"2022-10-09T07:37:05","modified_gmt":"2022-10-09T11:37:05","slug":"mans-best-friend-helps-him-overcome-homelessness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress-537697-2997182.cloudwaysapps.com\/mans-best-friend-helps-him-overcome-homelessness\/","title":{"rendered":"Man\u2019s Best Friend Helps Him Overcome Homelessness"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

Advocates Maintain Pets Can Help Homeless People<\/h2>\n

Erik Aalgaard remembers the hurtful words that people told him while he was homeless with the only friend he had left in this world: Buddy, his golden lab.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey said, \u2018You can\u2019t even take care of yourself; how can you take care of a dog?\u2019\u201d Aalgaard explained.<\/p>\n

But he gives Buddy, a.k.a. Buddybear, all of the credit for helping him overcome homelessness.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know that deep in my heart that he saved my life,\u201d Aalgaard said during a recent interview from Gardenerville, Nevada. \u201cMy dog saved my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like any special dog, Buddy made a difference by opening hearts and doors in the most unexpected ways.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe great thing about Buddy is that I could get angry, upset, mad and every time I explained it to him \u2013 why I\u2019m upset – he\u2019d always do the same thing,\u201d Aalgaard said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019d smile, wag his tail and try to give me a kiss. That\u2019s what I needed; somebody to just understand and not judge. And that was [Buddy].\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Not one, but several miracles are weaved through Aalgaard\u2019s story of survival and the power of the unconditional love of a dog.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere were blessings all over this story,\u201d Aalgaard said. \u201cThey were everywhere. I just didn\u2019t know they were blessings at the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

The healing that Buddy gave to Aalgaard is a reminder of the national debate about whether homeless shelters should allow people to bring in their pets. Advocates say pets can actually help homeless people overcome their situation.<\/p>\n

California Bill Aims to Help Homeless People and Their Pets<\/h4>\n

In California, a bill<\/a> by Sen. Robert Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys) proposes giving $5 million in grant funding to homeless shelters so they can offer shelter, food and basic veterinary services for pets. In March, his bill, SB 258, cleared the Senate Human Service Committee.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver two thirds of the homeless population in our state is unsheltered, and yet there are far too many empty beds in shelters across Los Angeles County, each night people don\u2019t want to leave their best friend on the street,\u201d Sen. Hertzberg said in a prepared statement. \u201cThis bill may be about pets, but in caring for pets, we are supporting both ends of the leash. This is a common sense way to quickly help people get off the street.\u201d<\/p>\n

An estimated five to 10 percent of the nation\u2019s 3.5 million homeless people have either a dog or a cat, or both. In certain areas of the country, as many as 25 percent of homeless people have pets, according to Pets of the Homeless, a national non-profit group based in Carson City, Nevada.<\/p>\n

When people and their pets become homeless, they face the heartbreaking decision of either forgoing shelter or giving up their best friend.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s exactly what happened to Aalgaard.<\/h4>\n

His descent from a suburban dream life to living alone on the streets began after he was laid off from his job as a youth counselor in 2011 and had no immediate prospects to replace it. Aalgaard\u2019s life began falling apart at a time when everything seemed to be coming together. He was recently married and living in a new home in Carson City with his wife.<\/p>\n

But the job loss and a series of other events placed an unbearable strain on their marriage. Shortly after his wife walked out, Aalgaard\u2019s house went into foreclosure. He put everything he owned into a storage unit and remained hopeful that he could quickly recover.<\/p>\n

The challenge, however, was greater than he expected.<\/p>\n

\u201cI tried to find another job, and couldn\u2019t,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

Without fully realizing it, Aalgaard became more and more depressed. Although he\u2019d counseled others through depression, he didn\u2019t recognize the symptoms in himself.
\n\u201cI never saw it coming. And once I was in it, I didn\u2019t know how to get out of it,\u201d Aalgaard explained. \u201cI started isolating.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI lost everything,\u201d he continued. \u201cAt that point, it was just my dog and myself. Because I had pushed everyone in my family away.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aalgaard had never been depressed, let alone homeless, and he didn\u2019t know where to turn. The only thing he could think of was to reach out to a trusted counselor he knew. Then he learned that she had recently passed away following a fight with cancer.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was gone, too,\u201d he said. \u201cThe only constant I had through this entire process was my dog.\u201d<\/p>\n

At one point in 2013, Aalgaard almost lost Buddy.<\/h4>\n

Aalgaard picked up a few odd jobs doing yard work and brought Buddy along on one of them. The dog went rummaging through some garbage and accidentally swallowed a peach pit, which made him gravely ill. But Aalgaard had no idea what was going on when Buddy suddenly stopped eating and drinking water for days.<\/p>\n

He said he was concerned but had no money.<\/p>\n

Buddy\u2019s condition made a sharp downward spike and Aalgaard believed that his best friend wasn\u2019t going to make it.<\/p>\n

Not knowing what else to do, Aalgaard took Buddy to a park that was near the home he once owned.<\/p>\n

\u201cI went to the park and I laid out a blanket because that\u2019s where we went, every single morning before I went to work,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd I laid out a blanket for both of us, and laid down, and figured that was the day that he probably was going to die.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aalgaard laid there, petting Buddy and reflecting on their life together.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was crying and didn\u2019t know what to do, and I was just struggling,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Suddenly, four dogs came running through the park and sat in a half-circle around Buddy.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey sat, and just started howling,\u201d Aalgaard said<\/p>\n

The dogs\u2019 owners arrived next and asked Aalgaard if he and Buddy were okay. One of the dog \u201cparents\u201d gave him money for gas, another offered to buy him something to eat, and a third person said she\u2019d pray for him and Buddy.<\/p>\n

Then, one of his old neighbors came driving by and asked what was happening.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe said, \u2018I work next to a place called Pets of the Homeless and they can help you,\u2019\u201d Aalgaard said.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was the connection I needed,\u201d Aalgaard said. \u201cAll of this happened instantly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pets of the Homeless, Petco and the Humane Society Help Buddy<\/h4>\n

Pets of the Homeless<\/a> paid about $500 for an ultrasound, which revealed Buddy had a peach pit lodged in his intestine.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe doctor came out and said, \u2018Your dog\u2019s going to need a $4,800 surgery and the only surgeon in the area is in San Francisco, and we would have to fly him in,\u2019\u201d said Aalgaard. \u201cSo, we would need to have the money upfront. Again, I didn\u2019t know what to do. I drove around for four hours. I went to all of the vet places and they wouldn\u2019t help me because I didn\u2019t have the money upfront.\u201d<\/p>\n

He finally made his way to the local Petco at 8:59 p.m., just as the door was closing. He pleaded with the store manager to help him, and she contacted one of her friends from the Humane Society. Through a series of arrangements made almost instantly, Aaalgaard found himself driving to Gardnerville, Nevada, a small town about 15 miles south of Carson City.<\/p>\n

When he arrived, a veterinarian was waiting to perform emergency surgery on Buddy. At the time, it was uncertain if Buddy would survive.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s never given up on me and I\u2019m not giving up on him,\u201d Aalgaard said he told the vet.<\/p>\n

In the end, a vet bill for thousands of dollars was paid in full by people who asked to remain anonymous. Aalgaard also paid a portion of the bill.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf they hadn\u2019t done what they\u2019d done, Buddy wouldn\u2019t be here,\u201d said Aalgaard. \u201cAnd I don\u2019t know if I would be here. Because he was my strength through my homelessness.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

After the surgery, the Humane Society gave Aalgaard a jar of coins donated by school children who heard about Buddy\u2019s story.<\/p>\n

But there was still one more miracle in store.<\/h4>\n

Aalgaard\u2019s truck ran out of gas in front of the Douglas County Social Services office in Gardnerville. And when the agency\u2019s employees saw Buddy, they rushed outside to see what was going on.<\/p>\n

After learning about his situation, the agency enrolled Aalgaard in a workforce development program. Eventually, that led him to landing a job as a counselor with the agency. As an added bonus, he gets to bring Buddy to work every day.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey saw something in me, and they loved my dog,\u201d Aalgard said. \u201cThis is where Buddy helped me. If Buddy wasn\u2019t there, they probably wouldn\u2019t have reached out like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

After Buddy recovered from his surgery, Aalgaard took him back to Carson City. He slept in a parking lot, waiting for Pets of the Homeless to open so he could thank them.
\nAalgaard is considered one of the nonprofit\u2019s biggest success stories.<\/p>\n

Renee Lowry, Executive Director of Pets of the Homeless, said she completely understands why homeless people want to keep their pets.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would never just leave my pet behind,\u201d Lowry said. \u201cShe would have to come with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many homeless people feel the same.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re homeless, you\u2019re completely alone and by yourself and these pets are providing this unconditional love to these people and there\u2019s no other way for them to do this on their own,\u201d Lowry said.<\/p>\n

Sadly, Aalgaard\u2019s story is not entirely unique.<\/h4>\n

\u201cWe get calls constantly with pet emergencies and in the process of interviewing these people we find out quite a bit about their lives and how they became homeless,\u201d Lowry said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s heartbreaking for them. A lot of times these pets are saving their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aalgaard said that through it all, Buddy taught him so many lessons. And he\u2019s still teaching him today.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s not getting anxiety about what\u2019s going to happen tomorrow and he\u2019s not living in the past,\u201d Aalgaard said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe teaches me every day to live in the now. Because that\u2019s all we have.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Advocates Maintain Pets Can Help Homeless People Erik Aalgaard remembers the hurtful words that people told him while he was homeless with the only friend he had left in this world: Buddy, his golden lab. \u201cThey said, \u2018You can\u2019t even … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":11152,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[320],"tags":[253,9808,9809,9807],"coauthors":[9050],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-537697-2997182.cloudwaysapps.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11150"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-537697-2997182.cloudwaysapps.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-537697-2997182.cloudwaysapps.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-537697-2997182.cloudwaysapps.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-537697-2997182.cloudwaysapps.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11150"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-537697-2997182.cloudwaysapps.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11150\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19715,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-537697-2997182.cloudwaysapps.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11150\/revisions\/19715"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-537697-2997182.cloudwaysapps.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11152"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-537697-2997182.cloudwaysapps.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11150"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-537697-2997182.cloudwaysapps.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11150"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-537697-2997182.cloudwaysapps.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11150"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-537697-2997182.cloudwaysapps.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=11150"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}