A 17-year-old boy, Eduardo Caioado from Anapolis, Brazil has been rescuing abandoned animals around his city since the age of 9.
Now, the teen has opened a shelter named EduPaçoca Institute with the help of his family to fulfill his dream of helping more street animals.
“I try to make this world a better place. And I know that the miracle that people ask of God is in the action that is done on a daily basis, whether it is feeding a stray dog or helping an elderly person by writing some letters.
This year, I implemented a great dream of building my institute. I rented a house and have sponsors who help with expenses. I go there every day. Sometimes I hitchhike, sometimes I ride a bike for 30 km, but I never complain because it was always what I dreamed of.
I don’t want a dog depot, but a home. I want them to know that even if they are not adopted, they will be with me until they grow old and die,” Eduardo told Bored Panda.
Eduardo got the idea of opening the shelter last March.
The teen was upset seeing dogs dying of hypothermia so he decided to take an action. “The region where I live is cold, and many stray dogs were dying of hypothermia. There are no public actions, so I decided to help. I was collecting blankets, creating houses with basins, and feeding them.
In a week, there were three, then more dogs would appear, and when I went to see them again, there were already ten. Everyone followed me.”
He says he wants to take care of animals to make them healthy so someone can adopt them later. The shelter is a temporary place for animals as they will be put up for adoption later.
“I want to make the Institute become something much more than a dog depot. In the recreational daycare format, I want to make them happy and healthy so that they can be adopted later,” said Eduardo.
“In those years of feeding animals on the streets, I realized that they have feelings very similar to ours. There is a dog named Baiano who always brings gifts for me: a bottle, a bowl, or a leaf. I had the idea of creating a different place. A nursery with colors, toys, recreation, activities, music, dancing, theme parties, and birthdays.”
The young boy has a dream to expand his shelter in future as he said, “The plans for the future of the Institute are to expand, rescue more elderly and rejected dogs.
The ultimate goal is to find them families, but until then, make them feel as if they already have a home. I don’t only want to treat the physical wounds of the animal, but their wounded souls.”
The boy faces it challenging to choose which animal should be taken to shelter as the place is not big and he can’t take all with him.
“The biggest challenge is having to choose whom to take and who stays on the streets. The space is still small and I can’t take them all,” Eduardo added. “The Institute is a dream, but at the same time a great challenge. But it has been so good to sleep every day knowing that everyone is warm and safe”
We need more people like Eduardo who are keen to make this world a better place with kindness. The teen who discusses human rights, public policies, animal protection, and environmental issues on social media has garnered more than 7000 followers on Instagram.
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