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On
Monday, August 4, 2008, PAWS/LA officially opened PETCO PLACE—a
groundbreaking project that will allow pet-owning homeless individuals access
to emergency shelter and support services without having to part with their
companion animal—in Hollywood, California. This unique
“shelter-within-a-shelter”, sponsored in large part by The PetCo Foundation,
is believed to be the first of its kind in the country. PETCO PLACE is
located on the property of PATH homeless shelter in Hollywood.
At a ribbon-cutting ceremony, representatives from
PAWS/LA, and various dignitaries, sponsors and community well-wishers were on
hand to launch PETCO PLACE.
The
inspiration for PETCO PLACE grew out of the challenges encountered by PAWS/LA
clients who, when faced with homelessness, had nowhere to turn that would
accept them AND their animal. And
while, PAWS/LA can provide a temporary foster home for the animal, most
clients would rather live in their cars, or on the street if it means being
able to keep their animal with them. And they are not alone. According to the National
Coalition for the Homeless, “between five and ten percent of homeless people
have dogs and/or cats, and finding any kind of shelter for those with pets is
nearly impossible.” When forced to
make a choice between their pet and a roof over their head, homeless
individuals
usually choose to remain with their animal.
Therefore,
in hopes of finding a solution that would keep animals and their guardians
together, PAWS/LA approached PATH over 4 years ago to propose the idea of
creating a space to accommodate the animals of homeless individuals while
they were in residence at PATH shelters.
PATH agreed and four years later…the rest as they say “is
history.”
Alan McVey from
PetCo, spoke enthusiastically about the project. “The PetCo Foundation is delighted to support this
project. This fits neatly into our
mission, which is to promote a wide variety of educational and charitable
activities nationwide by partnering with local animal welfare organizations
at the grass roots level. This
provides a way for pet loving members of the community to remain with their
animal, and at the same time allows the person to take steps to get
themselves and their pet back into permanent housing.”
The Petco Foundation has been a supporter of PAWS/LA
and its work since the Foundation’s inception in 1999. PAWS/LA Executive Director Pamela Magette
noted: “The generosity of the PetCo
Foundation has allowed us to break new ground in helping animal companions
remain with their guardians. We hope
this project will be the first of many to address this important need, and
allow more people to maintain the vital support their animals can provide.”
Other PETCO PLACE benefactors include: The City of West
Hollywood; The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Community Foundation; The Home
Depot; LegalZoom.com; and other community members.
For more
information regarding PETCO PLACE, contact Pamela Magette, PAWS/LA Executive
Director, at 323/464-7297 x 113 or pmagette@pawsla.org.
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