One young boy in Brazil spends his Saturdays volunteering with street dogs, unlike other children who spend their weekends playing with friends or watching TV.
11-year-old Thiago has always had a soft spot for animals and resides in Antônio Prado in Rio Grande do Sul. He wishes he could do something to help Brazil’s 30 million estimated abandoned dogs and cats. And because he was unable to bring them all home, he made the decision to improve their lives, one bath at a time.
At the end of 2020, Thiago created the project “Sou de rua mas to limpinho” (“I’m homeless but I’m clean”) with his father and started to change the lives of the street dogs around him.
“At the end of last year, I decided that I needed to somehow do something for the animals,” Thiago told The Dodo. “While talking to my father, I told him about my idea of bathing street dogs so they stay clean and fragrant and people look at them differently on the street.”
The project had a rocky beginning, but Thiago and his father were able to iron out the problems right away.
Since they are frequently abused, dogs on the street are challenging to catch, according to Thiago. Therefore, we went for a while without showers until my father got in touch with the NGO Noah’s Ark, at which point we began bathing their recently rescued canines.
adoption. Thiago’s father edits the pictures and posts them on social media to highlight each one. To date, Thiago has given 48 baths and has received a lot of support from his community — including donations of pet shampoo and bath products.
“The project has really borne fruit, because most of the furry ones are adopted,” Thiago said. “This gives a lot of motivation to continue.”
Through his efforts, Thiago seeks to influence the way people view the stray animals they see every day and persuade more people to welcome them into their homes.
People should not be hesitant to adopt, Thiago declared. “It’s the greatest thing ever. Allow them to adopt the dog, but let them know that it is not a thing or a toy. He is a creature with a long lifespan who only desires to show us love.
And for those who don’t have the space or ability to adopt a dog, Thiago encourages them to help in other ways — such as donating, volunteering at a shelter or putting out small bowls of food and water on their sidewalk.
Even the smallest effort, or a little shampoo, can make a difference.
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