The bond between a pet and its owner can go quite deep, so what happens when that same owner suddenly finds him or herself homeless on the street?

Chuck Jones found out after a 2022 car accident left him unable to work.  With no income, he was out on the street in Upper Darby by his 65^th birthday, writes Marcus Biddle for WHYY.

“I had a pretty good life for a while,” he said.

He lived with his labrador retriever, Midnight, working as a caretaker. 

Midnight is “his world,” making each day meaningful.

With Jones at risk for sudden heart failure, Midnight is also an emotional support and medical alert dog.

He and Midnight took to the streets together, but both suffered from the frigid February temperatures.

Luckily, he discovered the Breaking Bread Community shelter in Upper Darby. It is the Philadelphia region’s first pet-friendly homeless shelter.

Now Jones and Midnight are at the shelter, as Jones works to get rehoused.

“It crushed me when I was on the street, and I’m thinking, ‘Oh my God. What am I doing to my dog?,’” Jones said. “That’s why I’m so glad for this place.”

Learn more about the growing homelessness problem and this Upper Darby pet-friendly homeless shelter at WHYY.