A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed

By Jason Neufeld,
RaY Program Director

She was kicked out at 16 and has beenbouncing around from place to place for almost three years. It’s hard to say what happened exactly. Her home life was unstable, and one day she was simply told to get out. Suddenly, at 16, she was alone and left to her own devices. She slept outside, hitchhiked from town to town—she found a way to survive, mostly on her own. At one point, she felt as though she was settled enough to welcome a furry companion into her life. Enter Onyx, her lab/border collie/husky mix. For the first time perhaps, she felt the consistent unconditional love that a pet could offer. But just when things were looking up, her relationship with her boyfriend ended and she was suddenly homeless once again and running out of options. Her name is Morgan, and she is just one of the many young people that Resource Assistance for Youth (RaY) supports every day.

RaY is a street-level, non-profit agency that works with street-involved young people up to the age of 29. The mission is simple: to provide youth with what they need, on their terms, to better their lives. Over the past few years, RaY has helped impoverished young people connect with The Winnipeg Humane Society through our Friends for Pets program. The program was designed to offer spay and neutering services to those pet owners who could least afford it. The success of this partnership has led to an expansion of services through a generous grant received “In Memory of Peter D. Curry”.

The program now offers RaY’s marginalized youth emergency veterinarian services and fostering of pets for those youth who are either entering treatment or are having difficulty finding affordable pet-friendly accommodations.

This brings us back to Morgan. RaY first met her in January of this year with Onyx always close by. She told us her story and how she didn’t know what to do. Her love for Onyx was clear, and she didn’t want to lose her dog just because of her current situation. Most of us have a support system to fall back on during hard times. Morgan doesn’t have that luxury. All she has is Onyx. With nowhere else to turn, Morgan came to RaY, and RaY went to The WHS. Onyx was kept at the shelter for one week while Morgan looked for appropriate accommodation. He was also neutered and given his shots during this time. Morgan checked in everyday and when the week was through, she had found a place to stay. Morgan’s situation is still precarious, but RaY is comforted knowing that her most important relationship, her relationship with Onyx is safe for now.

Morgan is just one story. In 2009, this program offered services to 28 animals and by 2010 this number jumped to 52. It’s a small program that continues to grow and continues to help keep beloved pets with their young owners. RaY and The WHS understand that the relationships between these young people and their pets may be the most consistent and beneficial relationship they have, and splitting them up would only serve to further marginalize these young people who live with difficult circumstances, and result in more homeless pets. Ensuring that this relationship continues is important for both the youth and the animals’ continued well-being. In fact, animals like Onyx give hope and unconditional love to youth who require all the hope and love they can get.