DENVER — Love between human and dog, dog and human, is the kind that doesn't change because of life circumstances.
Love is there even when the money isn't.
"Just make sure she's a healthy little puppy," Ulinda Carroll said as she handed over her 8-week-old black lab to the veterinarians.
"You don’t find a lot of places that are willing to help," she said. "They usually want a lot of money or they won’t help you."
She's currently living in transitional housing where she said five dogs recently died of parvovirus, hers included.
"I literally just had a puppy die from parvo and our family can’t do another one," she said, her voice shaking.
So three days after she got her puppy Sarah, she went to the Colorado Convention Center, where veterinarians like Dr. Ashley Ackley were doing vaccines, microchips and checkups for free Sunday.
"But I think there is a big judgment and stigma out there, about gosh you need to be able to afford everything or you shouldn’t have a pet, and I really struggle with that," said Ackley, a veterinarian at Western Veterinary Partners.
The volunteers on Sunday are part of the American Veterinary Medical Association. During their annual conference, they partnered with the Street Dog Coalition to give free care to the pets of people experiencing homelessness.
Ackley knows how much the love is needed in both directions.
"I've been through so much abuse in my life," Carroll said. "She’s going to be my emotional support animal. So it’s super important because she’s like my other half."
It's easy for humans to judge, but animals just feel the love.
"We’re all humans," Ackey said. "We all love animals. Everybody here that brought their pets today, loves them."
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Latest from 9NEWS