LONGMONT, Colo. For many people experiencing homelessness, their pets are more than companions, theyre family. But traditional shelters for the unhoused often require individuals to leave their animals behind, forcing them to m ake an impossible choice between a safe place to sleep or staying with their beloved pets.Kristen Baltrum, the founder of Annie and Millies Place, is working to change that. She envisions a co-shelter space where people and their pets can stay together safely, but for now, that place does not yet exist. Our big dream is to have a co-shelter space where people and their pets could sleep safely and securely together every night of the year, Baltrum said.Until that vision becomes a reality, Baltrum and her nonprofit are providing crucial support in other ways. Annie and Millies Place offers pop-up veterinary clinics, emergency pet care funding and foster arrangements for animals while their owners seek treatment or temporary shelter.Baltrums mission is deeply personal. Her sister, Annie, became unhoused in 2019. When she sought refuge at a homeless shelter, she was told she could stay but her dog, Millie, could not. Rather than abandon her companion, Annie chose to stay with Millie. For seven months, the two lived on the streets, struggling to find resources that would accommodate them both. Eventually, Annie moved into an abandoned house. She died by suicide a few weeks later. I believe that had Annie and Millie just been welcomed into that shelter together, she would be alive today, Baltrum said.Her sisters story inspired Baltrum to start Annie and Millies Place in hopes of preventing others from facing the same tragic outcome.Often, this is a persons only friend or only companion thats keeping them alive, Sarah Leonard, a volunteer and CEO of Visit Longmont, said.While Annie and Millies Place does not yet have a permanent shelter, Baltrum and her team are partnering with local organizations to provide interim support. The future space of Longmonts Recovery Caf was staged to showcase what the future co-shelter could look like.Baltrum is hopeful that with community support, her dream of a pet-friendly shelter will soon become a reality.This is an issue thats not just about human services, Baltrum said. Its about animal welfare as well.For those looking to support the cause, donations and volunteer opportunities are available at the Annie and Millies Place website. Denver7 Everyday Hero works to keep unhoused individuals and their pets togetherDenver7 features a different Everyday Hero each week. To nominate a hero in your life, click here. ...read more read less