When Ajarn Yossaphon Chanthongjeen learned just how bad the stray dog problem was in his home country of Thailand, he decided to do something about it.
Design Boom reports that the Thai Department of Livestock Development estimates that out of the 6.7 million dogs in the country in 2016, about 750,000 of them were street dogs.
Bangkok alone is believed to be home to 100,000 to 300,000 strays. And the population only keeps growing larger.
Many of these dogs suffer through bad weather, malnutrition and starvation, infestation, and abuse.
Ajarn came up with a brilliant idea of how to help these animals while studying for his doctorate.
He came up with the idea to build pop-up shelters for dogs made from discarded billboards.
These mini shelters help strays to stay safe while evading the elements.
They can be quickly assembled and are collapsible.
The shelters are tiny raised platforms with an angled overhang so that the animals can stay off the ground and dry when it rains or is very hot.
They are placed against a flat wall and fixed with hinges at the top so they can be folded down.
They act like a tent when open and have enough space for a dog to get cozied up on.
When passersby see a dog in an area of bad weather, they can open up a shelter.
Each shelter also has a little space for a water bowl and a food bowl.
So, not only are these pop-up shelters keeping dogs safe but they are also keeping old billboards out of landfills.
“We seek to improve stray dogs’ welfare. We improve all our lives when we make theirs better. Many people are affected when dogs get abandoned, and these shelters will improve communication between neighbors while attempting to solve the problem. We can solve it together. Join the dog program and stay aware of animals and how they live. Be the one who helped. Let’s join together in community spirit and a home for the homeless,” a social media post made by the group states.
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Ajarn started an organization and community called Stand for Strays to run the pop-up shelter program.
The pop-up shelters are referred to as Homeless Allot Model
Stand for Strays reportedly has at least 10,000 members who support the project.
They are currently working on expanding their initiative and building more shelters in the Chumuch area.
“Management of stray dogs needs to be supported by the government sector with the power to make policy, regulate and enforce laws. Stray Dogs is only a way to reduce or alleviate stray dogs and improve the welfare of the community and stray dogs. So, Media can create widespread awareness. It may lead responsible agencies to tackle this issue seriously,” the organization’s Facebook explains.
“Homelessness is a small project that starts from small things, starting from the stray dog problem that affects society in various aspects, including the impact of perspective, attitude, and causing conflicts. As seen from the perspective of the affected and the perspective of the person trying to get along. In solving the problem of stray dogs, no one is wrong. The person who saved the dog is not wrong. The person affected is also not wrong. The stray dogs are also not wrong. Those who don’t have conscience and abandon the dog. It’s wrong. Therefore, stray dogs are born to be a medium of communication between people. All groups. Homelessness has a purpose, so that everyone in the society is aware of the stray dog problems that occur.”
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