A google accident led me to this story..which led me to more...

People look down on homeless people, but even though they end up resembling each other, as do many of their dogs, they still have a gentle hand for Man's Best Friend...at least for some of them.. They may not have a warm bed and a roof over their heads, but they have compassion and a willingness to share what they do have..


SJ Homeless Man Dies After Someone Attacks His Dog

POSTED: 9:26 am PDT May 1, 2007

A homeless man died Monday after a scuffle on San Jose's busy West Santa Clara Street just before lunchtime, according to San Jose police. The man, Cornelius Van Der Vies, was a well-known figure in downtown San Jose because of his friendly nature and his constant companion Boo Boo. According to witnesses, another homeless man began throwing things at Boo Boo and Van Der Vies jumped in to defend the animal. Witnesses said the man then turned on Van Der Vies, kicking and hitting him until he collapsed.

The San Jose Mercury news reported Van Der Vies may have suffered a heart attack. The newspaper set up a condolence page that was quickly filled with dozens of responses. People who knew Van Der Vies have also set up a make-shift memorial in his honor. People have been adding flowers and notes throughout Tuesday. Many people are just learning of the death as they come upon the memorial. Some openly weeped and were comforted from strangers who were gathered.


Van Der Vies' dog is now in an animal shelter on Monterey Highway in San Jose. More than 20 people have volunteered to adopt the animal, but a worker at the shelter told NBC11's Garvin Thomas that Boo Boo has a history of bites and may not be suitable for adoption.

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Link To Mercury News Condolence Link

Pat from San Leandro wrote: "Cornelius, I never met you, but my future wife thought the world of you. When she heard of your death this morning, she cried all the way to work. You were (and still are) obviously a wonderful person. You are no longer 'homeless', you have a better home than any of us!"


More Homeless from all over the world, sharing what little they have, with their best friend