Homeless People and Animals.

[RiverDave]

So I have to pay licensing fees and I get penalties if I don’t pay. We have them coming to our doors and fences squeezing squeaky toys and then issuing threatening letters.

I'm SURE all the homeless people’s dogs are fully licensed and have current shots.

This state sucks. I can’t wait to get out of here.

the law only applies to tax payers.. sad but true

 

[rrrr]

I do feel bad (and frustrated) for mentally ill and I think homeless vets have been dropped through the cracks and haven't gotten the assistance they need / deserve but I think addicts whether alcohol or drugs are no victims and they are the vast majority of the problem and drain tax payer money. I have zero compassion for them.

I'm sure this won't be a popular stance, but I believe the veneration given to veterans is sometimes misplaced and unwarranted.

While I have respect for those that have served, especially on the sharp end, the facts are there are losers that sign up because they are failures in life. The military may turn them around, or they might continue being losers and struggle through their stint or receive a bad conduct discharge.

That being said, the number of enlisted personnel that abuse drugs and alcohol is lower than that of their non-military contemporaries.

Substance Use and Military Life DrugFacts | National Institute on Drug Abuse

Offers an overview of trends of drug use in the military and the special risks faced by this population.

www.drugabuse.gov

But, generally speaking, it's inevitable that a certain percentage of veterans end up addicted, with mental health issues, and homeless. The difference between them and other people with the same issues is that the VA has multiple programs to help veterans deal with their problems.

VA.gov | Veterans Affairs

Apply for and manage the VA benefits and services you’ve earned as a Veteran, Servicemember, or family member—like health care, disability, education, and more.

www.mentalhealth.va.gov

It's common knowledge that a great percentage of those living on the streets reject assistance. They choose to live on the fringes, because shelters and abuse programs require the person to stay clean.

Affected veterans are no different, except they have treatment options that others do not. Because of this rejection, I have little sympathy for the addicted homeless that happened to have been in the armed services for a few years.

I think that just because someone joined up and served two (Army and Navy) or four (Air Force and Marines) years of active duty, followed by a period in the Reserves that altogether total eight years, shouldn't automatically give them a lifetime pass and advantages. When serving, these people are trained to perform complex and difficult jobs, at a level far above that available to average citizens.

After completion of their active duty stint, they receive the benefits of higher education via the GI Bill, free of charge or close to it. They also receive lifetime health coverage through the VA medical system.

These advantages are a more than fair compensation for their service.

 

[530RL]

My basic view is that people can get a job, a dog can’t. So I fall on the side of the animal in charity.

To that point, blue buffalo was a tenant in a building we owned. They would give me boxes of samples and when encountering homeless with dogs I would reach in my truck and give them some sample packs of dog food.

Every time without an exception the homeless person said thank you.

So there is that.

 

[DrunkenSailor]

You ever notice they have the best behaved dogs on the planet? Half the time they don't even need leashes and that dog isn't moving one inch away from them?

undivided attention and they never leave for work....