With the help of a few dog-loving humans, some very unusual doors opened to shelter stray dogs. Unfortunately, when winter days and nights are upon us, it gets colder every week. And, sometimes bitter weather is not just hard on people.
Dogs across the country are hoping to find a warm spot where they can get out of the cold. Occasionally, that means spending the night in an unexpected place.
Bus terminal opens doors to shelter dogs
Bus Terminal Doors Opened to Shelter Stray Dogs
Thankfully, the employees at the Curitiba, Brazil Barreirinha bus terminal are unlike most people. Unexpectedly, they went over and beyond what most professed dog lovers do to help stray dogs.
They opened the doors of the bus terminal to provide shelter, water, and food to several stray dogs. Otherwise, these dogs would have had no other warm place to sleep at night.
In addition to the warm shelter, the kind-hearted employees also made beds for the dogs. Interestingly, the employees created the home-made beds out of old, blanket-covered tires.
Additionally, the bus employees named the three stray dogs Pitoco, Max, and Zoinho.
Bus Terminal Gives Home to 3 Stray Dogs and Makes Beds For Them
Fabiane Rosa is a local politician, and known animal-lover. He highly praised the bus station employees for their kindness. Boldly, he said that the dogs were angels, and they had every right to be there. Further, he encouraged other companies to do the same.
Rosa acknowledged that this was not the ideal situation. Additionally, he stated that the dogs needed to be adopted into homes. However, he is happy someone is doing something for the stray dogs.
Stray Dogs – a Growing Problem In Every Country
Unfortunately, there is no way to know for sure just exactly how many stray dogs there are in the world. However, the current “guestimation” is thought to be more than 500 million homeless dogs.
Currently, it is reported that about 3.3 million dogs end up in rescue shelters in the United States. And, shelters euthanize about 670,000 dogs annually.
Sadly, many shelters cannot afford to be “No-Kill Shelters. Because of the lack of funding and space, some shelters have no choice but to euthanize dogs.
Unfortunately, dogs are only permitted a limited number of days in their facility before being put down.
Complicating Factors
Homeless dogs are without a loving family to feed and shelter them. Sadly, many also are stricken with disease or infections. Further, stray dogs have no way to obtain treatment or vaccines to prevent illnesses.
In some countries, stray animals frequently have rabies. Therefore, people are at risk of rabies being spread to them via bites or scratches. In up to 99% of documented cases of rabies transmitted to people, dogs are responsible.
Thankfully, we can prevent rabies with proper vaccination. Of course, homeless dogs are not usually vaccinated.
Everyone Can Help Prevent Dogs From Being Homeless
Obviously, there are several ways you can help prevent dogs from being homeless. And, not all of them require you to open your doors to shelter stray dogs. Other, less permanent, commitments to providing for dogs without a family are available.
Adopt or Foster a Dog
If you or your family is ready to introduce a new furry member into your home, give serious consideration to adoption. Remember, you do not have to buy a dog from a local breeder. Alternatively, why not get one from your community animal shelter instead?
First of all, be sure you are ready to provide a permanent home before adopting a dog. Sadly, see a significant number of dogs returned to shelters once the newness wears off. Sometimes, people unwisely give dogs as gifts, and this often does not work out well.
If you aren’t currently able to give a permanent home to a dog, there are other options. Many animal shelters and dog rescue groups depend on volunteers to foster dogs waiting to be adopted. They can be individuals or families.
However, volunteers having some experience with dogs are preferred. Many people are needed to provide loving temporary homes. Ultimately, finding a suitable permanent family is the goal.
Other Ways to Help
Spay or Neuter Your Dog
Obviously, prevention is the best way to minimize the number of stray dogs. The best way for dog owners to help is to prevent unexpected litters. Do this by being proactive. Neuter or spay your dogs before they have a chance to reproduce.
neuter your dogs to cut down on strays
Donate Food, Funds, and Time to Your Local Shelter
Obviously, all shelters need help. They need more funding and volunteers to provide the best care possible to the most dogs. Helping the shelter in any way to house more dogs helps to keep down the number of dogs euthanized. Any help you give a shelter can save the lives of dogs.
Spread The Word
Surprisingly, too many people have no idea just how many homeless dogs there are in our country. Share this information with a dog-loving friend. Help spread the word by sharing awareness of the problem.
Do what you can to encourage others to do what they can to protect the homeless dogs in your community.
Trio of stray dogs on the street. They have no shelter
Before you decide to adopt a dog, read this article. https://happymutt.org/can-you-afford-to-own-a-dog/?fbclid=IwAR0tv05b2GLYF_340AEyuAFOn-Z7JfqCiMOBTPfFE6sqwJVQaOMYNN2xspo
Thanks to our friends at https://theheartysoul.com/bus-terminal-opens-doors-shelter-stray-dogs/?utm_source=eic&fbclid=IwAR01T3asCjgQTMUcmYMZ7yksmasCeEtla5zTtbwj1dPeBtRvr_6oZ2ujlK0
Photos courtesy of Pixabay
