Mexican Children Built Houses for Street Dogs Using Recycled Materials and We’re in Awe of Them

When showing examples of humanity and empathy, children often become the ultimate protagonists, and the story below is no exception. At the Zacatecas Educational Institute elementary school in Mexico, 35 children built shelters for stray dogs using the recycled materials they had at home. Their ingenuity went viral on social networks, and everyone wants to know where the idea came from.

We at Bright Side want to share with you the extraordinary project of these children and tell you how they managed to make it possible.

Children with initiative

Toward the end of the school year, 5th children devised a project with purpose in an attempt to generate some impact on society. Guided by their teacher, the students detected a problem (unfortunately a very common one) in the streets of their city: homeless dogs. This is why the children decided to build doghouses that could serve as safe shelters against the cold or rain for abandoned animals.

The materials they used

The project also had another purpose: to build houses with materials that the students had in their homes, in order to promote a culture of recycling. So the children built the shelters using things like chopped wood, old sheets, plastic bottles, cardboard, cloth, etc. Best of all, they used all their imagination to color and decorate the doghouses, and thus providing cozy homes to street animals.

A project with a cause

From the beginning, the students knew that their project should have a clear purpose. So once they presented the doghouses made of recycled materials, they donated them to the “Albergues Lazos Caninos” shelter, which is a non-profit association that is responsible for rescuing and rehoming stray animals in Zacatecas, Guadalupe, Enrique Estrada, and Calera, Mexico.

Stray dogs in Mexico

The abandonment of animals has brought serious consequences and has become a public problem in Mexico. According to the company Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, 70% of the canine population in Mexico are strays. This is an alarming figure, as it involves many environmental complications.

Adopt, don’t shop

Fortunately, there are more and more people and organizations dedicated to rescue, rehabilitation, and the responsible adoption of abandoned dogs. Rescuers do altruistic work to promote the awareness of responsible pet ownership. Their recommendations are:

• Adopt, don’t shop.
• Don’t breed your pet (you can always adopt another dog), and spay or neuter it in time.
• A pet is a living being: consider the time, dedication, habits, financial situation, and availability you have before taking on such a serious responsibility.

What do you think about this initiative? What, in your opinion, is the best strategy for preventing pet abandonment? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section.