Ilkeston Big Issue vendor James Allerton: ‘My dog is like a son to me’

Big Issue vendors went to parliament back at the start of the summer to make the case for ending no-pet policies in temporary and emergency accommodation. The heartbreaking choice between staying with a pet and a place off the streets has long been a barrier to addressing homelessness.

It is a barrier that has taken on extra significance as Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged to offer a route off the streets for all people sleeping rough in England. Being able to stay with a treasured pet can be so important.

Big Issue vendors have long told us about the benefits of having a dog by their side. It’s the companionship, the affection and the constant in sometimes chaotic lives that can make a huge difference.

Ilkeston vendor James Allerton told Big Issue that he has had to choose between his American cocker spaniel Harlow and a place to stay in the past. While in hospital, he was given the option of going into supported accommodation rather than returning to the flat where he lived but was encountering issues with people in the area.

“I said I can’t unless it allows me to take my dog,” said Allerton.

“They said, ‘Oh, you probably won’t’. So I just decided to stay in this flat. I said to the nurses at the hospital I’d never give up that dog. That dog is like a son to me.”

Read more:

• Big Issue sellers celebrated in the House of Lords for National Vendor Week
• Renting with pets: Know your rights
• The growing movement preventing homeless people from having to choose between their pet and a home

Harlow is more than just a popular pup on Allerton’s pitch. The vendor said the dog has been a constant companion after he bought him when he saw that he was being kept in a shed.

“He’s a good source of emotional support,” said Allerton. “He helps me because I’ve got diabetes and, because I’ve had him for so long, he can sense when my diabetes is playing up. He jumps up at me, starts licking me and stuff just to make sure I’m OK. He knows there’s something up with me. He helps with my mental health
as well.”

There has been a growing acknowledgement that letting housing come between people and their pets can no longer stand. The new Renters’ Rights Act and the Housing (Scotland) Act both give private rented tenants greater rights to keep a pet.

Meanwhile, organisations like StreetVet have been campaigning and working to make homeless hostels more accepting of pets. For Allerton, the time is now to go further. “I’d just say: allow the dogs to come in with the people that need it, like me, people with diabetes and illnesses,” he says. “It would help a lot of people who are homeless.”

Sign Big Issue’s petition to end no-pet policies in emergency and temporary accommodation

Interview: Rhianon Steeds

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