Note: The names of the subject and his dog have been changed for confidentiality reasons.
Marcus and Pickles were homeless and lived together on the streets.
The two were inseparable and spent their lives together on the harsh streets of Skid Row in Los Angeles.
Together they overcame many obstacles and survived everything together. The only times they really struggled were times when they were apart.
When Marcus finally got his life together and found a home to live in, he knew he wouldn’t be able to leave Pickles behind.
The home he moved into was only one room, barely bigger than a closet but that didn’t bother him – still, he brought his best friend inside to live with him.
“He essentially shares everything with him, and they go everywhere together,” said John Hwang, a photographer who chronicles the lives of people living on Skid Row.
Hwang had developed a special bond with Marcus throughout the time he spent with him on the streets during his visits.
“We hadn’t seen each other in a while, but we often text or message each other,” Hwang says. “He’s like an older brother to me.”
Hwang found out about Marcus’ new living situation and decided to pay Marcus and Pickles a long overdue visit.
“As I’m in front of his apartment about to call him to let him know I was there — he didn’t know I was coming — they are standing right behind me,” Hwang says.
“(Marcus) has this big smile on his face and said to me ‘I had this feeling I had to come downstairs, and here you are.’ Then we give each other a big hug.”
The first thing Hwang noticed when entering Marcus’ new apartment was that there was no bed in the room.
“I saw the mattress leaning up against the wall unused,” Hwang says. “On the floor was the dog bed, a dog bowl for food and water, and a bunch of blankets strewn out.
“The blankets and the dog bed were basically one big pile. There was no dog section or person section, it was just one big jumble of blankets and dog bed.”
When Hwang asked where Marcus slept, he pointed to the floor.
“There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for him,” said Marcus.
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