The nonprofits My Dog is My Home, and People Assisting the Homeless, known as PATH, held an open house on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at the PATH Metro Villas in Los Angeles to discuss their work to help the homeless — and to help their pets as well.
PATH led a media tour of their “pet-inclusive emergency shelter,” part of their wider effort to help homeless individuals and families move off the streets by providing transitional housing and support services. Their goal is to help people get into permanent housing. And the national nonprofit My God is My Home works to help service providers — including homeless shelters — to let people and their pets stay together.
PATH officials say that providing housing to those in need, along with their pets, “enables survivors of domestic abuse to leave abusers, keeps animals out of overcrowded shelters, and may also save pets’ lives.”
Among the residents and their pets living at Path Metro Villas was Tyrone Hart, with his dog, Rocky. The event featured current and former clients of PATH’s who agreed how important it is to keep their pets who can get lost or given up.
Shoshana Mostoller, My Dog Is My Home technical assistance specialist, and Matthew Brewer, PATH’s director of Interim Housing, described the positive benefits of housing people with their companion animals at PATH and other emergency shelters. PATH’s mission is to “end homelessness for individuals, families, and communities.”