Understanding the Roles, Relationships, and Barriers Experienced By People Who Are Unhoused with K9 Companions: An Exploratory Study

Background and Purpose

The importance of canine relationships to human well-being is an ever-evolving field. Recent research has demonstrated similarities between how people bond with animals and the bonding experience between mothers and children. At the same time, many professionals working in helping roles are partaking in the utilization of canines in interventions related to trauma, PTSD, disability studies, and other areas of practice. Simultaneously, within psychology, a growing breadth of research indicates the importance of hope to overall well-being. This exploratory study sought to better understand the relationship between K9 companions and people who are unhoused.

Methods

There are two distinct research questions:

1. How do K9 relationships contribute to the wellbeing of persons who are unhoused?
2. What challenges do people who are unhoused with K9 companions experience because of their relationship?

An exploratory qualitative study was undertaken with a sample of ten individuals who were unhoused and possessed K9 companions. A brief survey of questions was provided to 10 individuals who were unhoused with K9s in a larger urban city in the Southcentral region of the United States. Among participants, 50% identified as male and 50% as female. In terms of racial identity, 20% of participants identified as white, 20% as Black or African American, 20% as American Indian, 20% Latinx or Hispanic, and 20% as multiracial.

Survey responses were analyzed using content and thematic analysis techniques. Data was coded based on the initial questions and participant responses to create concepts that were then analyzed and sorted into broader categories that encompassed multiple concepts. Finally, categories were further analyzed to identify larger level themes. Two researchers analyzed the data at each level and reconciled differences at each stage with 100% agreement.

Findings

Although this study was exploratory, it did generate some useful findings related to how people who are unhoused experience their relationships with K9 companions, along with the challenges and barriers they face in the community with accessing services and supports. One major theme that emerged from this study was entitled “K9s as Kinship”. All participants in this study referred to their companions by name, rather than as a dog or pet. Additionally, 90% of participants discussed how their K9 companions were their family, not just a pet. Another theme that emerged from the data related to “mutual support” and how participants felt as though their K9s supported them daily and how they support their K9s. Finally, all participants discussed how having a K9 companion has limited their ability to access community supports such as housing, shelter, services, etc.

Implications

The implications of this study relate to the need for more research must in this area with a larger sample and with mixed-methods. Additionally, more training and consultation must be delivered to social service providers to help them to better understand the importance of K9 companions to people who are unhoused, along with policy advocacy interventions at local and state levels.