27/05/2025
Such a good cause
As chilly Winter mornings settle over Melbourne, it’s getting harder to leave the warmth of bed. Now imagine waking up in a tent. No power. No water. No heater. The nearest facilities are over a kilometre away. When it rains, you’re stuck inside the tent all day. No car means walking everywhere - rain, hail or shine.
That’s the daily reality for Matthew and his best friend, Maverick.
For the past two years, Maverick has been Matthew’s loyal companion. They’ve faced hardship side by side - from caring for Matthew’s sick grandmother, to being kicked out of her home by relatives after she passed. They’ve endured stays in motels that drained Matthew’s savings, where Maverick wasn’t welcome, and now for the last two months, living in a swag on a privately owned paddock.
Maverick means everything to Matthew. Maverick helps Matthew manage his anxiety, keeps him grounded and safe, and gives him purpose. They’re inseparable.
“I feel that a part of my grandma is in him because of how much he understands,” Matthew shared.
When told by others he should give up Maverick because a dog is making his situation harder, Matthew responds: "He’s my family. I can’t pass off my family. He’ll be with me until one of us pass.”
The challenges of sleeping rough are constant. When we visited him a few weeks ago, a distressed Matthew told us Maverick had run off the night before, chasing something into the bushes. Unfortunately Maverick was picked up by the local pound, and Matthew was told he had just 8 days to find over $500 to bring him home. This wasn’t the first time that Maverick had found himself in the pound – we had previously assisted to cover his council impound fees.
When we returned the following week, Matthew had just picked up Maverick and he took us to their campsite, only for the property owner to show up and tell him he had to leave by Sunday. It was Thursday. No car. Nowhere to go. “It’s a bit hard to see direction lately,” he said. Every day is about survival: food, shelter, water, safety.
When we asked Matthew if he’s ever had to skip meals to feed Maverick, he responded, “I do all the time.”
Pet food is expensive. Feeding himself is already a struggle - feeding a big boy like Maverick even more so. Matthew told us that accessing the pet food that Pets Of The Homeless supplies to his local soup kitchen has been a “lifesaver.”
Matthew walks nearly 6 km every week to collect a heavy bag of food for Maverick. “He’s my number one priority, and it’d be very hard knowing I’m not feeding him. Knowing he’s happy has been a lot easier on me. You’ve been the most helpful service I’ve actually had so far.”
That’s why today, we’re launching our Virtual Pet Food Drive, and we urgently need your help right now.
As the cold sets in, people and their beloved pets like Matthew and Maverick are at real risk of going hungry. By filling your virtual cart today with nutritious pet food, you’ll make an immediate difference, helping us respond quickly to rising demand. Your tax-deductible gift will fund the bulk purchase of essential pet food, which we will distribute through our frontline food relief partners across Victoria. But we can’t do it without you, and winter won’t wait.
Give now at https://petsofthehomeless.au/petfooddrive38
Image description: A man sits outside a small grey tent, gently feeding his dog who’s stretched out beside him on a striped blue and white bed. Surrounded by trees and afternoon light, it’s a quiet moment of care and connection—proof that love and loyalty exist, even in the hardest places.
