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Donors will go out of their way to save cats. People? It's complicated Donors will go out of their way to save cats. People? It's complicated
(3 months later)
Last summer, I walked into an abandoned building in the Bronx – past eight people shooting heroin, past piles of discarded toys and clothes – and captured five newborn kittens and their mother. The mother of the kittens was dehydrated, and they were all living in a soiled, discarded suitcase in a room filled garbage. A shirtless addict who had just pissed into a pail in the corner helped me.Last summer, I walked into an abandoned building in the Bronx – past eight people shooting heroin, past piles of discarded toys and clothes – and captured five newborn kittens and their mother. The mother of the kittens was dehydrated, and they were all living in a soiled, discarded suitcase in a room filled garbage. A shirtless addict who had just pissed into a pail in the corner helped me.
I drove the six cats to a home 15 miles away to be cared for by a couple whose lives are in order. Thanks to the amazing generosity of many of followers of my Facebook page, we were able to raise almost $1,500 and cover most of their veterinarian bills.I drove the six cats to a home 15 miles away to be cared for by a couple whose lives are in order. Thanks to the amazing generosity of many of followers of my Facebook page, we were able to raise almost $1,500 and cover most of their veterinarian bills.
Further posts helped four of the cats find new homes, while the other two stayed with the original couple who took them in.Further posts helped four of the cats find new homes, while the other two stayed with the original couple who took them in.
After spending three years in the Bronx, documenting the life of street addicts, and after countless frustrations – seeing friends relapse, friends beat-up, friends harassed by the police, friends thrown in jail for long stretches for minor offenses, and a friend die – I finally felt that I had done something unquestionably good.After spending three years in the Bronx, documenting the life of street addicts, and after countless frustrations – seeing friends relapse, friends beat-up, friends harassed by the police, friends thrown in jail for long stretches for minor offenses, and a friend die – I finally felt that I had done something unquestionably good.
Still, whenever my path detours into kittens, I get an uneasy feeling that helping animals can be a distraction from helping people.Still, whenever my path detours into kittens, I get an uneasy feeling that helping animals can be a distraction from helping people.
In my time documenting the homeless, I run across stray cats and dogs regularly and, when I write about them or photograph them, I immediately get a flood of responses – one that almost always surpasses my stories and pictures of people.In my time documenting the homeless, I run across stray cats and dogs regularly and, when I write about them or photograph them, I immediately get a flood of responses – one that almost always surpasses my stories and pictures of people.
I do get amazing offers to help people, including donations for blankets, books, socks, clothes and even just money, all of which is appreciated and all of which comes from a very good place. But I just get more interest, both in money and offers to help, when the subject is an animal.I do get amazing offers to help people, including donations for blankets, books, socks, clothes and even just money, all of which is appreciated and all of which comes from a very good place. But I just get more interest, both in money and offers to help, when the subject is an animal.
Especially cats.Especially cats.
Why? Because helping animals is ethically easy, and because helping people – especially addicts – is complex and often filled with judgment.Why? Because helping animals is ethically easy, and because helping people – especially addicts – is complex and often filled with judgment.
It's not just that people ask the question, "What if they use the money for drugs?": it's the unspoken subtext when people think (and say), "The kittens didn't do anything wrong. They don’t deserve their plight – they are innocent." It's not just that people ask the question, "What if they use the money for drugs?": it's the unspoken subtext when people think (and say), "The kittens didn't do anything wrong. They don’t deserve their plight – they are innocent."
Implicit in that sentiment is that a homeless addict is not "innocent", but an agent of his or her own mistakes. It feeds into the stereotype that all addicts are lazy, that they are all weak and that they all lack willpower. It plays into our belief as a society that their fates – addicted to drugs and living under a bridge, for instance – are somehow all their fault.That narrative is appealing because it allows us to abdicate our collective responsibility for a society – and an underlying set of public policies – that accepts and even ensures that a portion of our society will live on the streets, that some of us will be addicted to drugs, and that some of us will just have to deal with grinding poverty – and the traumas that often follow from it. It is uncomfortable for many people to contemplate that perhaps homeless addicts are just as smart and just as ethical as anyone else. It requires us to come to realize that maybe "success" (as society defines it) has to do with luck, with being born in the right place and at the right time, and with being subject to laws and law enforcement that are designed to help instead of hurt you.Implicit in that sentiment is that a homeless addict is not "innocent", but an agent of his or her own mistakes. It feeds into the stereotype that all addicts are lazy, that they are all weak and that they all lack willpower. It plays into our belief as a society that their fates – addicted to drugs and living under a bridge, for instance – are somehow all their fault.That narrative is appealing because it allows us to abdicate our collective responsibility for a society – and an underlying set of public policies – that accepts and even ensures that a portion of our society will live on the streets, that some of us will be addicted to drugs, and that some of us will just have to deal with grinding poverty – and the traumas that often follow from it. It is uncomfortable for many people to contemplate that perhaps homeless addicts are just as smart and just as ethical as anyone else. It requires us to come to realize that maybe "success" (as society defines it) has to do with luck, with being born in the right place and at the right time, and with being subject to laws and law enforcement that are designed to help instead of hurt you.
Helping people – especially addicts, and especially homeless addicts – is not easy. The best any of us can do in the short term is harm reduction – provide clothes in the winter, and clean needles and condoms year-round – but that rarely provides the glamorous and dramatic outcomes that allows workers, volunteers and donors to get the emotional lift that their work deserves.Helping people – especially addicts, and especially homeless addicts – is not easy. The best any of us can do in the short term is harm reduction – provide clothes in the winter, and clean needles and condoms year-round – but that rarely provides the glamorous and dramatic outcomes that allows workers, volunteers and donors to get the emotional lift that their work deserves.
In the long term, we must address the ways in which our laws and our society not only stigmatize addiction, but marginalize large groups of people. Doing so will require an acceptance that addiction is not about a lack of will power and that poverty and homelessness is not about being lazy – and that our shared responsibility will probably require us to do things we find unsavory, like pay higher taxes or give needles to heroin users.In the long term, we must address the ways in which our laws and our society not only stigmatize addiction, but marginalize large groups of people. Doing so will require an acceptance that addiction is not about a lack of will power and that poverty and homelessness is not about being lazy – and that our shared responsibility will probably require us to do things we find unsavory, like pay higher taxes or give needles to heroin users.
Three years ago I met Jamie, who lived under a bridge, and his cat, Mimi. When I posted their pictures and wrote about their story, people sent me blankets for Jamie and advice and offers to help get Mimi fixed. But when I went back to take Mimi to get fixed, they were both gone: sanitation crews had come on Christmas Eve to remove Jamie's belongings (including the blankets people sent), the NYPD had charged him with trespassing and Mimi was just gone. I received countless questions about Mimi – but few about Jamie.Three years ago I met Jamie, who lived under a bridge, and his cat, Mimi. When I posted their pictures and wrote about their story, people sent me blankets for Jamie and advice and offers to help get Mimi fixed. But when I went back to take Mimi to get fixed, they were both gone: sanitation crews had come on Christmas Eve to remove Jamie's belongings (including the blankets people sent), the NYPD had charged him with trespassing and Mimi was just gone. I received countless questions about Mimi – but few about Jamie.
Helping someone like Jamie when, in all likelihood, there is no Hollywood ending for him, leaves many of us feeling like there's no point – and it allows at least some of us to point fingers at him, rather than the system that constrains his ability to benefit from help or ever really help himself.Helping someone like Jamie when, in all likelihood, there is no Hollywood ending for him, leaves many of us feeling like there's no point – and it allows at least some of us to point fingers at him, rather than the system that constrains his ability to benefit from help or ever really help himself.
So we go out of our way to save kittens, because it feels certain we are doing something good. But Jamie deserves our help as much as Mimi: he might not be an innocent, but poverty and addiction don't make him a villain, either.So we go out of our way to save kittens, because it feels certain we are doing something good. But Jamie deserves our help as much as Mimi: he might not be an innocent, but poverty and addiction don't make him a villain, either.