your pet can stay too

If you're homeless in Anchorage and you've got a dog, two city shelters will now let you bring them inside with you. That's a big change for a system that used to turn people away if they wouldn't leave their animals behind.

A survey from the coalition to end homelessness found that pets were one of the biggest reasons people stayed out of shelter in Anchorage. Some folks would rather sleep outside than give up the one companion they have.

Right now only about six people with pets are staying at Linda's Place, which tells you the program is still brand new. Staff say they'll accept any animal as long as they can house it properly. Both shelters accepting pets are city-run, so the municipality is putting real resources behind making this work at multiple sites across town.