Nerissa ten Velthuis works for the Dier&Vriend project. The initiative mainly takes in cats and dogs from people who are homeless and/or addicted and have no one to care for their furry companions.
“They just worry a lot about their animal. That’s why they don’t take good care of themselves,” Ten Velthuis explains.
Animal accessible policy
The Amsterdam pets are cared for for a maximum of six months by volunteers affiliated with Dier&Vriend.
Ten Velthuis: “So that the owner gets time and can, for example, be admitted or enter a detox or homeless shelter. Unfortunately, there is not yet much animal-accessible policy in the Netherlands. People often think that it is a lot of work. We are also working on that, helping so that the shelter becomes animal accessible and people with an animal can be cared for together.”
The organization sees plenty of examples of success stories. “For many people, their animals are children, family members,” Ten Velthuis explains. According to the care provider, it is no small feat to trust an organization with volunteers.
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