Homeless Pet Owners Have Somewhere To Go In Orange County

SANTA ANA, CA —An Orange County homeless shelter will get a boost this year with a donation to build a pet area, the first of its kind in the Southland. The pet area, complete with space for pets to exercise, be bathed and relieve themselves will be completed by December, thanks to a $65,000 donation earmarked for that purpose.

This will make the Courtyard one of the few shelters in Orange County that allows the homeless to stay with their pets, Orange County Supervisors say.

The Nationwide Foundation is providing the Midnight Mission, which runs the Courtyard, the special funding for the designated "pet space" in the old bus terminal. Accommodating animal companions will encourage more service-resistant homeless individuals -- some of whom suffer from a mental illness and benefit greatly from having a service animal -- to accept services, as well as provide their animals with a more suitable home, according to Orange County Board of Supervisors Chairman Andrew Do.

"By creating a space that makes sense for people and their pets, we're increasing the likelihood that they will choose to accept help rather than continue to live on their street," Do said.

He praised Doris Starling, who is in charge of running the Courtyard, for getting the pet section project underway.

"This is due to the hard work of Doris, who has been an advocate for it," Do said.

The Courtyard provides shelter to about 400 homeless people daily, and is home to about 45 pets, he said.

City News Service contributed to this report.

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