A homeless man called John, and his dog, Carrie, give a glimpse into what it’s like to live rough…
now they are part of my family.

Like many of us, I have previously been guilty of being in a hurry and walking past those homeless on the streets, and sometimes, you just don’t know what you can do to help.

8 years ago, that all changed. It was June 2013, and being a big animal lover, a post flashed up on my computer from a pet rescue organisation appealing for help to find the dog of a homeless man in the Sydney CBD called John.

I opened the post and immediately recognised him as I had seen John and his dog Carrie in Pitt Street Mall many times.

Some young boys had walked past John and started kicking both John and Carrie, and so the dog ran up Pitt Street in fear.

On learning about John’s story, what struck me was that he couldn’t find a bed in a shelter or any other form of accommodation, because none allowed dogs.

John had been searching for some days and had made up signs, but Carrie was nowhere to be found. I offered a reward, and, as it turned out, Carrie was returned the next day.

I introduced myself to John the following day and spent the day sitting on the street with John. When I left, John gave me his milk crate , and asked me to come back next week. That afternoon I rang 3 organisations for the homeless to ask, why in this day and age we can’t somehow accommodate a homeless man and his little dog. Despite my suggestion that pets are like family, I was shocked when the response from all three was that it was easier to put the dog down. I researched the issue and found that it was well documented that numerous people in the Sydney CBD chose to stay on the streets at night because they have a pet that cannot be accommodated.

I found a facility at Camperdown that provided a room that allowed pets, but the waiting list was beyond my life span. Then I tried searching for a garage that could be rented out and accommodate a mattress and bed, again to no avail.

I sat with John and Carrie at the end of Pitt Street Mall, witnessing first-hand what they went through every day. I was amazed, saddened and at times angry at the abuse people gave John, and frequently me, for talking to him.

I had given John jackets and clothing for him and Carrie, but then a week or so later, he would be cold because, as he put it, young people would bash him and at times steal his stuff.

John spoke to me at length one afternoon, of his career building Olympic swimming pools and how back in his working days he never would have thought he would end up on the streets alone.

As I could see John’s health deteriorating, I put my phone number on Carrie’s lead, in the hope that if anything happened to him, someone would make sure Carrie came to me.

That call came on March 22. A dog rescue had Carrie after finding my phone number around her neck, however John’s whereabouts and condition were unknown. I took Carrie home and subsequently found John in a critical condition in RPA Hospital, needing an operation, but with no one to sign the surgical consent form, his health was deteriorating rapidly.

John needed to be operated on, so I became his legal guardian, signed the consent forms, and he was operated on successfully.

He’s now off the streets in a nursing home near me, with yours truly as his guardian. Carrie, and I visit a few times a week. He has his own room, three meals a day and is being well cared for – and I’m so proud that I fulfilled a promise I made to him that he would never die alone on the street.

He recently turned 75, and we had a party to not only celebrate his birthday, but that it was 4 years off the streets with much improved health.

As you can see, he looks so much better now.

See photos attached.

It’s amazing that a third of those homeless in Australia are under the age of 17. I was shocked to learn that more than 116,000 Australians find themselves experiencing homelessness on any given night of the year.

I am again joining CEOs and directors from the Illawarra region in June to sleep rough as part of the annual Vinnies CEO Sleepout, raising vital awareness about the issue of homelessness and providing much-needed funds.

Every donation is meaningful. Just fifty dollars can make a huge difference to people who need it most, but every dollar helps. Alternatively, just stopping and saying hi to someone on the streets, can improve their day.

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