Helping homeless people -- and their pets, too

The folks behind a new homeless shelter in Hollywood say they have achieved a first: A shelter that serves not just homeless people but their pets as well. Petco Place opened Monday. According to AP:

Founders of Petco Place unveiled their shelter Monday with the promise of welcoming homeless and their pets — a policy rarely seen at homeless shelters. “Up until now, people on the street with animals have not had a place to go with their animals,” said Pamela Magette, executive director of Pets Are Wonderful Support/Los Angeles. “They will not avail themselves of emergency shelters if they cannot take their pets.” Magette, whose nonprofit group helps poor people care for pets, called the shelter perhaps the first in the nation to welcome pets. The shelter’s kennel was designed to accommodate the thousands of homeless in Los Angeles County who are unwilling to abandon their pets, even in their own time of need. The county has about 88,000 people living on the street or in temporary housing. About 5 to 10 percent of homeless people have pets, according to the National Coalition for the Homeless.