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UK homelessness charity St Mungo’s has commissioned Stay! (Together), a free digital children’s book by Jeanne Willis, illustrated by Alice Larsson. Told through the experiences of two people and their dogs, it is intended to help families discuss homelessness and the role of pet-friendly accommodation.
St Mungo’s, a UK homelessness charity, has commissioned a free children’s book about homelessness and the bonds between people and their dogs, aiming to give families an age-appropriate way to discuss a difficult subject. Stay! (Together), written by award-winning children’s author Jeanne Willis and illustrated by Alice Larsson, draws on the real-life experiences of Arwa and Benny, whose dogs provided companionship while they were sleeping rough.
The digital book follows Arwa and her dog Jacko, and Benny and his dogs Brandy and Casper. St Mungo’s says the stories show how their relationships helped them through difficult periods, while also drawing attention to the challenges people can face when seeking accommodation that accepts pets.
Arwa fled to London in 2018 to escape war in her home country, leaving Jacko behind temporarily. They reunited three years later. In 2022, after her flat was sold, she struggled to find pet-friendly accommodation and chose to sleep rough with Jacko rather than give him up. St Mungo’s outreach team later supported her into a pet-friendly women’s service, and she subsequently moved into her own home through the Housing First scheme.
Benny first experienced homelessness in 2006. St Mungo’s account says Brandy gave him stability and motivation, including support in remaining substance-free for 13 years. After Brandy died in 2019, Benny experienced grief and mental health difficulties. He later found companionship with Casper, and the charity supported the pair in securing a stable home. The book is free to download from St Mungo’s website, where families can also listen to a narrated version voiced by the charity’s ambassador Kerry Godliman and alt-J musician Gus Unger-Hamilton.
When Pets Shape Access to Housing
The stories connect a family discussion about homelessness with a practical barrier to support: accommodation that accepts animals. For people who regard a pet as family, leaving an animal behind may make a housing option difficult to accept. St Mungo’s argues that pet-friendly services can help people seek support without separating from an important source of companionship.
The charity cites sector estimates that 10% to 25% of people experiencing homelessness have a pet, while stressing there is no official UK-wide count. It also says that only 21% of 960 services listed in the Homeless England database reported accepting dogs. Those figures suggest a potential gap in provision, though the available information does not establish how many people are unable to access accommodation because they have pets.
For parents, the book offers one route into a topic children may encounter but find hard to understand. St Mungo’s says the animal perspectives are intended to encourage empathy and challenge assumptions, rather than present homelessness as a single experience.
children's books about homelessness
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Research Behind the Storytelling Approach
St Mungo’s commissioned research among 1,363 UK adults in October 2026. The charity reports that 24% of parents surveyed find it difficult to discuss homelessness with their children in an age-appropriate way. It also reports that 92% of parents believe books are useful for introducing social issues, 87% say animal stories can help children process unfamiliar experiences, and 85% consider stories told from an animal’s perspective particularly engaging.
These results are findings from research commissioned by St Mungo’s, not evidence that reading this particular book changes children’s attitudes or knowledge. The charity describes the book as a way to start conversations. Its two central accounts focus on individual experiences, including Arwa’s search for housing with Jacko and Benny’s bond with his dogs.
““I had the option to give up Jacko for accommodation, but I refused. I would rather be homeless with my dog than without him.””
— Arwa, whose story with Jacko appears in the book
What the Evidence Does Not Establish
The research figures are reported by St Mungo’s, and the source material does not provide the survey questionnaire, sampling method or full results. They should be read as the charity’s account of responses, not as a measure of the book’s effectiveness. It is not yet clear whether St Mungo’s plans to evaluate how families use the story or whether it will publish follow-up findings.
The estimate that 10% to 25% of people experiencing homelessness have pets is a sector estimate cited by the charity; there is no official UK-wide count. The accommodation figure refers to services listed in Homeless England that reported accepting dogs. The source does not say how many services accept other kinds of pets, whether their policies have changed, or how many people are turned away because of animal restrictions.
The reported accounts describe Arwa’s and Benny’s individual experiences. They do not establish that all people experiencing homelessness have the same relationship with animals or face the same housing circumstances. The source also does not specify a publication date for the book beyond saying it is available to download.
How Families Can Access the Book
Families can download Stay! (Together) for free from the St Mungo’s website or listen to its narrated version, according to the charity. The book is presented as a starting point for discussion, with its stories focused on the experiences of people and their dogs.
St Mungo’s says it provides pet-friendly accommodation wherever possible. The material does not announce a new housing programme or give a timetable for expanding that provision. Any further details about the book’s reach, reader response, or changes to the availability of pet-friendly services remain to be reported.
Key Questions
What is Stay! (Together)?
Stay! (Together) is a free illustrated children’s book commissioned by St Mungo’s. Written by Jeanne Willis and illustrated by Alice Larsson, it tells stories based on the experiences of Arwa and Benny and their dogs.
Where can families get the book?
St Mungo’s says the book is available to download for free from its website. A narrated version is also available, voiced by Kerry Godliman and Gus Unger-Hamilton.
What are the stories about?
One story follows Arwa and Jacko, whom she chose not to leave behind when she could not find suitable accommodation. Another follows Benny and his dogs Brandy and Casper, who were part of his life during periods of homelessness and later housing support.
Why does the book focus on dogs?
St Mungo’s says animal perspectives can help children engage with unfamiliar experiences and develop empathy. Its commissioned survey found that 87% of parents surveyed believed animal stories could help children process unfamiliar experiences; that result does not measure the impact of this specific book.
How common is pet-friendly homelessness accommodation?
St Mungo’s says 21% of 960 services listed in the Homeless England database reported accepting dogs. The figure concerns services reporting that they accept dogs and does not establish how many people need such accommodation or how many services accept other pets.
Source: rss
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