A local charity has said that homeless people in the north of England are ‘being forced’ to choose between keeping their pets and finding warm shelter.
Street Paws has said that ‘enough is enough’ and that more hostels should be pet-friendly, reports The Hoot.
Research shows that less than 10% of hostels currently welcome pets, forcing people to have to choose between sleeping rough or leaving their dogs.
It’s also been reported that less than 7% of pet owners would give up their dog in exchange for housing.
The charity provides veterinary care to homeless dogs in the north of England.
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Credit: Street Paws
Figures from Crisis released earlier this year estimate that 200,000 experienced ‘core homelessness’ in 2020 – and that 1 in 10 people experiencing homelessness also has a pet.
Street Paws shared the story of a man they helped called Dave* and his pet dog Lola. According to Street Paws, Dave suffers from psychosis and has complex needs.
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This, alongside previous experiences of being systematically abused and threatened by members of the community, means that he often sees things as a potential threat.
So when he joined a scheme and attempted to settle Lola into a kennel, he became convinced others had access to it and she was being harmed.
Both Dave and Lola struggled with separation anxiety, having developed a very close bond over the years. This, combined with cold weather, fireworks, and an “abundance of sneaky cats” lead to “a few difficulties” – and as a result, Dave spent a number of nights in the kennel and some back on the streets rather than leave Lola on her own.
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Credit: Unsplash
Ultimately, this lead to a decline in his mental health, sleeping pattern, and personal hygiene. Lola would also often shake and resist when Dave tried to return to the scheme, said Street Paws.
The charity works with hostels to help them become more pet-friendly and says that the main reasons given for not accepting the pets of vulnerable people include a lack of staff knowledge and training; ‘No Pet’ Clauses in hostel lease agreements; and a lack of pet-friendly permanent housing to ‘move on’, leading to longer stays for residents.
Now, in partnership with the south of England’s Dogs on the Streets charity, Street Paws has launched a campaign for more hostels to become ‘Dog Champions’.
The scheme offers hostel staff accredited training and support, plus advice on pet policies, owner agreements, a pet essential welcome pack for residents, full veterinary care, Street Paws patient registration, canine first aid training, and a first aid kit.
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Street Paws founder Michelle Southern said: “The nights are getting darker and colder, and it is essential that as many people make it to a shelter as possible, and we believe that skilling up hostels and helping them to become pet friendly is a giant stepping stone.”
Featured image: Street Paws
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Pat Regan at the Fairfield Social Club – a brilliantly unhinged evening of standup comedy
Clementine Hall
There’s a particular kind of chaos that only Pat Regan can deliver, and the recently re-recognised Fairfield Social Club got the full force of it last night.
Making his Manchester debut as part of the ‘A Lovely Time’ series at the equally as lovely Fairfield Social Club, the New York comic, writer, and podcast host arrived with the energy of someone who had already lived through three emotional breakdowns before breakfast and somehow still had the worst to come.
Known for his work on HBO’s Hacks and the cult-favourite podcast Seek Treatment with fellow comic Catherine Cohen, Regan’s stand-up feels less like your traditional comedy set and more like being trapped in the world’s funniest group chat.
The perfectly intimate room beneath Fairfield’s railway arches was packed with adoring fans who were immediately on side as Regan launched into stories about traumatic trips to Paris, Grindr dates, massage tables and having crushes at the gym.
The audience was in the palm of his slightly sweaty hands (don’t worry, he’ll be fine with me saying so), laughing at every awkward punchline and self-deprecating anecdote.
The material is nothing groundbreaking, but this is what makes it so deeply hilarious; never before has shopping for the perfect pair of jeans been so serious and unserious at the same time.
There was laughter rolling through the venue for virtually the entire set, and after an hour of never-ending quips and jokes, we were left wanting more.
And the best part is, it won’t be long until we get more from this place, and it’s no wonder they’re starting to get the hosting plaudits they deserve.
It’s safe to say Fairfield Social Club has become one of Manchester’s most exciting homes for alternative comedy, and this felt like exactly the sort of booking that justifies its growing reputation.
By the time Regan left the stage, the audience looked equal parts exhausted and delighted. An absolutely classy evening indeed.
Find out about what else is on at the Fairfield Social Club HERE.
First-ever JD Wetherspoon pub to open at Manchester Airport
Danny Jones
In news that we feel many Mancs and travellers all-round have been waiting on for a long time, the well-known British chain, JD Wetherspoon, will be opening its first-ever pub at Manchester Airport.
That’s right: soon that first airport pint of the holiday could actually be a relatively cheap one.
While Wetherspoons are no strangers to popping up in terminals across the UK and Ireland, they’ve never done so here in Manchester despite having three, yes THREE, in Gatwick alone.
Not for much longer, though, as soon T2 will be lending more than 3,000 square feet of its prime leisure and retail real estate to a new Greater Manchester ‘Spoons’.
Posting on social media, the airport wrote: “Wetherspoon comes to Manchester Airport this September! The pub will be located in the Terminal 2 Departures lounge and will have more than 300 seats.
“This will become the final major food and drink venue to open its doors as part of our decade-long £1.3bn transformation of Terminal 2. It will be named ‘The Belle Vue’, in a nod to Manchester’s historic showground [now a sports complex and leisure hub].
“It was a focal point for social life in the city from the Victorian period up until 2020, when the final event was held at Belle Vue stadium. The design of the pub is inspired by the history of Belle Vue and the sporting culture of the North West of England. We look forward to welcoming you all in September!”
While a lot of money has been pumped into T2’s refurb as a whole over the past few years, it remains unclear just how much this particular new addition will cost; we do know that great sums were set aside for the launch of the Great Northern Market last year.
The inaugural Manchester Airport Spoons is just the latest in a series of major renovations.
As mentioned, the company already operate several up and down the country – 10 airport pubs, to be specific – but this will be the first in the North West.
Speaking on the news, JD Wetherspoon chief executive John Hutson said in a statement: “We are looking forward to opening at Manchester Airport. We believe our new pub will prove popular with travellers of all ages and be an asset to the new terminal.”
With Manchester Airport adding a dozen new routes to its roster this summer, you can expect to see even more people flying in and out than ever – no doubt having already polished off a cut-price pint or two beforehand.
Daisy Jackson -
22nd November 2021 
