Companion animals, poverty and social work

INTRODUCTION: A consequence of poverty is social isolation which can be lessened by having a companion animal. It is noted that people experiencing poverty go without food and other material goods to provide for animals in their care. METHODS: The findings presented in this article are from a doctoral study in which 23 women and five men were interviewed using a qualitative approach. Applied thematic analysis was utilised to identify themes from the data. FINDINGS: Companion animals provided participants in this study with a sense of security and friendship. The latter was particularly important as it reduced social isolation for participants. When participants had companion animals, they prioritised food for their animals over food for themselves and went without other material goods to care for the needs of their companion animals. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: It is important for social workers to recognise the significance of companion animals when working with people living in poverty. Consideration should be given in social work assessments to the role companion animals have in the lives of people living in poverty and to reducing the costs for people in relation to caring for their companion animals.