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Homeless people with dogs

Eire-Dearg

I didn't want to start a new thread about this as it was more so an observation rather than an issue I have when visiting Galway city this weekend, but I couldn't find a thread suitable without posting into some older one.

I noticed there were quite a few homeless people around the city with little dogs. I've seen homeless people with dogs before, but not this many. I witnessed about 4 or 5 different examples of non-Irish with tiny dogs that it seemed choreographed. Is this the case? Or are they genuine and I'm wronging them? They seemed to be getting a lot of money from visitors, including one young man who was outside the ferris wheel and just down from an ATM.

One lady on Shop Street struck her dog when it barked at a passerby which made by blood boil.

Otherwise, Galway seemed a very dog friendly city, including one American busker who had his dog attracting passers by with his frisbee!

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Andrew00

They're Romanians, I seen 2 of them get out of a van in eyre Square a year ago to begin another day of begging the naive. Don't buy into it

Plumbthedepths

Just back from Prague all the street beggers/ homeless all had dogs that I saw. Seem to be a prop to garner sympathy and money.

farawaygrass

Eire-Dearg wrote: »

I didn't want to start a new thread about this as it was more so an observation rather than an issue I have when visiting Galway city this weekend, but I couldn't find a thread suitable without posting into some older one.

I noticed there were quite a few homeless people around the city with little dogs. I've seen homeless people with dogs before, but not this many. I witnessed about 4 or 5 different examples of non-Irish with tiny dogs that it seemed choreographed. Is this the case? Or are they genuine and I'm wronging them? They seemed to be getting a lot of money from visitors, including one young man who was outside the ferris wheel and just down from an ATM.

One lady on Shop Street struck her dog when it barked at a passerby which made by blood boil.

Otherwise, Galway seemed a very dog friendly city, including one American busker who had his dog attracting passers by with his frisbee!

Did you see the guy today around 1, just next door to Lynch s castle, eyre Sq side. He was hold a big hand painted sign looking for money, saying he had cancer and his wife died from cancer previously because of the radiation from Chernobyl. I only had a quick glance the first time I pasted and went back to nearly give him money, but my gut told me not to.

Always Tired

It should be illegal to panhandle with a dog, and illegal to own a dog unless you have proof of address. Poor dogs probably thinking, 'Sure, I like to go out for a walk but this is overkill!'

Vittu

Andrew00 wrote: »

They're Romanians, I seen 2 of them get out of a van in eyre Square a year ago to begin another day of begging the naive. Don't buy into it

How do you know the nationality of these people?

Mrs OBumble

There's been a big increase in the number of apparently Roma (not necessarily Romanian) people begging around town in the last two weeks, and in the proportion of them with dogs in the last week.

Christmas is a coming and I guess the doggie rental guy brought new stock in.

Sheridan81

Vittu wrote: »

How do you know the nationality of these people?

They speak with a Transylvanian accent.

[Deleted User]

Always Tired wrote: »

It should be illegal to panhandle with a dog, and illegal to own a dog unless you have proof of address. Poor dogs probably thinking, 'Sure, I like to go out for a walk but this is overkill!'

It should be illegal to beg full stop particularly a lot of the in your face begging that goes on nowadays. People should be allowed go about their business around town without having to put up with people hassling them for money.

katiek102010

A couple of St Bernard's sized from Roma in Dublin recently had been doped to the eyeballs.

Seemingly they think they will get more money with the dogs.

flazio

Had a weird one on Friday, he was hobbling around on crutches on the centre median at the traffic lights between Currys and the shopping centre trying to wave a cup at traffic waiting at the lights.
He was hobbling from car to car. Thankfully a Guard turned up to move him along.

Peatys

There were 8 of them all with similar setups dotted along shop st at 11pm. I was walking the opposite direction at 3am and they were all gone..

Vittu

Sheridan81 wrote: »

They speak with a Transylvanian accent.

Your point being?

ChewyLouie

I heard a guy from a homeless accommodation centre speak before about this. He didn't want to discount anyone but said that most homeless people he sees do not "look homeless". They'll be walking past you on Shop Street and you'd never know. They'll pack up and stow their belongings discreetly in the morning - you'll not find them laying under a duvet on a main pedestrian street in the afternoon.

Eire-Dearg

Cheers for the info. I obviously had my suspicions but I didn't want to tar anyone, in case there are genuine homeless out there that just happened to have a dog.

Shocking stuff. The dogs should really be taken off them. It should be pretty easy to set up surveillance to watch their movements to prove they aren't homeless, it'd be great to see more action taken by the gardai to clear them away. People throwing a few quid their way might pass out someone in genuine need of help.

Mrs OBumble

Eire-Dearg wrote: »

Cheers for the info. I obviously had my suspicions but I didn't want to tar anyone, in case there are genuine homeless out there that just happened to have a dog.

There are - but you won't recogise them as homeless. Sometimes the dog is their motivation to eventually move into a home. So I wouldn't like to take dogs away from them.

It's not illegal to beg on the street with props ( dogs, duvets, signs, whatever) AFAIK. So I'm not sure there's any way to confiscate the dogs.

The best thing that could happen is for people to stop giving street beggars money.

Sheridan81

Vittu wrote: »

Your point being?

If you're speaking with a Transylvanian accent you're Dracula and/or Romanian.

Kingp35

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

It's not illegal to beg on the street with props ( dogs, duvets, signs, whatever) AFAIK. So I'm not sure there's any way to confiscate the dogs.

It depends if the dog is properly cared for or not. As has been pointed out in this thread, there have been cases where the dogs are drugged up to keep them docile and sad looking. In these cases the dogs can legally be taken off the person and should be.

jippo nolan

Sheridan81 wrote: »

They speak with a Transylvanian accent.

Dr. Frankenstein I presume!

Bob Harris

Sheridan81 wrote: »

They speak with a Transylvanian accent.

I vant to bleed you dry.

Paddico

Andrew00 wrote: »

They're Romanians, I seen 2 of them get out of a van in eyre Square a year ago to begin another day of begging the naive. Don't buy into it

Romanian or Roma Gypsies?
There is a huge difference ....

cfeeneyinterior

There's a new shanty town in the City now too beside Ryans Homestore. Nice little setup that seems to be growing and getting more permanent by the week. Probably up on daft soon or AirBnB.

Eire-Dearg

Kingp35 wrote: »

It depends if the dog is properly cared for or not. As has been pointed out in this thread, there have been cases where the dogs are drugged up to keep them docile and sad looking. In these cases the dogs can legally be taken off the person and should be.

Absolutely. It may not be illegal, but if these dogs are used purely as props and may be drugged/abused there should be grounds for action.

Mrs OBumble

Eire-Dearg wrote: »

Absolutely. It may not be illegal, but if these dogs are used purely as props and maybe drugged/abused there should be grounds for action.

Every dog may be abused. It's actual abuse that could be acted on. I guess if it's animal cruelty, it should be reported to the GSPCA - are they the ones with authority to act? Do they have a dope-test for dogs?

Irish Praetorian

Bob Harris wrote: »

I vant to bleed you dry.

Thats Dr. Frank n Furter youre thinking of, also Transylvanian, a sweet transvesite from transexual Transylvania to be precise.

(Ill be jolly impressed if anyone gets the reference)

Gremlinertia

It's bad when rocky horror show is a shop street reference!

On topic, there is a visible increase in beggars during the 'christmas' period, i remember a lot of people holding infants a few years back and now it seems to be dogs

RocketRaccoon

If they don't have licences for the dogs, they can be taken off them no?

Seamai

Sheridan81 wrote: »

If you're speaking with a Transylvanian accent you're Dracula and/or Romanian.

Listen to them, the children of the night.

Vittu

Sheridan81 wrote: »

If you're speaking with a Transylvanian accent you're Dracula and/or Romanian.

Well that solved that.

Fritzbox

flazio wrote: »

Had a weird one on Friday, he was hobbling around on crutches on the centre median at the traffic lights between Currys and the shopping centre trying to wave a cup at traffic waiting at the lights.
He was hobbling from car to car. Thankfully a Guard turned up to move him along.

That was one smart and well trained doggy!

irisheddie85

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Every dog may be abused. It's actual abuse that could be acted on. I guess if it's animal cruelty, it should be reported to the GSPCA - are they the ones with authority to act? Do they have a dope-test for dogs?

The GSPCA are just an animal rehoming charity. They have no powers at all. Any issues should be reported to the dog warden or the Gardaí