Glasgow homeless shelter to allow dogs to stay with owners

The guidance highlights the positive role dogs can play in people's lives

A homeless shelter in Glasgow has announced it will allow dogs to stay with their owners, following advice from housing providers.

The Glasgow City Mission will supply items such as food, bedding and treats for pets from 24 January.

In November Simon Community Scotland issued guidance with Dogs Trust on the matter, highlighting how dogs could provide comfort for people with trauma.

Dogs Trust estimated only about 10% of hostels were dog-friendly at the time.

The document consists of several pieces of advice such as how to provide dog-friendly communal rooms in temporary shelters and create risk assessments to ensure there are no issues with staff members being allergic to, or afraid of, pets.

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The animal welfare charity supplied the Glasgow City Mission with materials in order to accommodate pets.

The winter night shelter is located at the Lodging House Mission in East Campbell Street.

A spokesperson for Glasgow City Mission said they "recognised the importance of dogs" to guests and wanted to make sure dog owners got a good night's sleep.

They continued: "We thank our friends at the Dogs Trust for their generosity in supplying all the necessary materials and accessories to allow us to launch this scheme.

"We have food, treats, bedding and toys ready and waiting."