Probably because people are more inclined to give something to the dog of a homeless person vs the homeless person. I am certainly that way. So you have a dog that’s well fed and spends the whole day running around outside. Pretty good life for a dog.

Maybe, but dogs can also be incredibly loyal. They will stick by you when no one else will.

Dogs offer intuition, protection, and companionship where humans will not, for homeless.

Do the owners tend to look healthier for their demographic? I bet keeping a high morale probably contributes to better health outcomes as well, and dogs can be good for high morale.

It never really occurred to me to compare them before. Not necessarily from memory.