With the help of a furry friend, Sheamus is ready to get back out there
On a red rug in the back of the Street Roots office, a small, white dog curled up for a nap. 'Shameless' Sheamus, 30, stared down at the rescue.
“He usually likes laying on my jacket,” Sheamus said, pointing to the spot where he had laid out his camo jacket at his feet.
Sheamus and his dog, Charlie Daniels, only met at the beginning of 2023. Though one would think they had been long-time best friends given Sheamus’ affection for the animal.
Sheamus originally moved to Portland in January 2019 from Florida. He had spent all his life thus far moving around the East Coast after his parents split when he was eight. Eventually, he felt a desperate need for change.
“When I came out to Portland, I was in a dark place,” Sheamus said. “I just wanted to get out and be my own person.”
His first stop was the Portland Rescue Mission, where he met Dodger, the first person to approach him as he sat outside for dinner. Dodger told Sheamus about Street Roots and the resources it provides.
Sheamus didn’t join Street Roots until March 2020, two weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. When he started, he worked for the Street Roots Action Team. During that year, Sheamus worked all over the office, helping organize supplies in the basement and running the coffee station occasionally.
“I like outreach,” Sheamus said. “It feels like it’s the only way I can be social and not have anxiety.”
Sheamus describes the past two years as some of the darkest he’s experienced. Between a debilitating injury and a personal tragedy, he felt an immense toll taken on his mental and physical health. Despite it, he was not about to give up.
“I just kept going,” Sheamus said. “Even when I got to the point where I didn’t really think it was possible.”
Sheamus attributes his change in mood over the recent months to two constants in his life; one old and one new.
The first constant was the Peterson’s on Southwest 12th Avenue and Harvey Milk Street. The locally owned grocery store had been the one place besides his tent that he went to during his worst days.
“For a while, it was just ‘tent, Peterson’s, tent, Peterson’s,’” Sheamus said.
Peterson’s represented a place of acceptance for Sheamus. His close ties with the workers and management meant he had somewhere to go even when he felt hopeless.
The second constant was a new edition to Sheamus’ life — Charlie, the small white dog. In the few months he and Charlie have been together, Sheamus saw a monumental shift in his mood.
“It’s been a while since I’ve had a true, legitimate smile on my face,” Sheamus said. “For a while, I just never felt my smile reach my eyes.”
Charlie was skin and bones when Sheamus first met him. It was obvious to him that Charlie hadn’t been fed properly until then. For the following weeks, Sheamus nursed the dog back to health, making sure he was properly fed each day.
“He eats before me, that’s something I’ve made sure of,” Sheamus said. “There’s been days where he eats, and I don’t.”
Now, Sheamus and Charlie are out daily, checking on the people that Sheamus considers family around town. Most of the time, Sheamus finds himself back at the Peterson’s, but Charlie’s presence has motivated him to get back out into the community.
You can support Sheamus via @StreetRoots Venmo by entering his name and badge number (540) in the notes.
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