According to statistics, there are approximately around 70 million stray cats and dogs in the United States alone. Out of this 70 million, roughly 7 million of these homeless pets enter the 3,500 shelters nationwide every year. And what happens to the remaining population of stray animals? Each year, around 2.7 million stray pets die due to extreme weather condition and sickness. The absence of shelter and lack of food are taking the lives of these poor animals. Furthermore, the number of stray cats and dogs keep on increasing every year. This is because majority of these animals are not spayed or neutered. Since animal shelters are not enough to accommodate all these homeless pets, some people are looking for other solutions. One of them is 23-year-old Amarildo Silva Filho who decided to upcycle old tires to create beds for homeless cats and dogs.
Filho’s love and concern for stray animals led him to embark on a mission to rescue these homeless pets. The idea came to him two years ago when he saw a pile of old tires in his neighborhood. At first, he thought on how to reuse the old tires because upcycling could allow him to save the environment. But a much better idea suddenly came into view. Why not make something out of the old tires that can benefit stray animals as well? And that is when he started making upcycled beds for stray cats and dogs.
The compassionate artist started collecting tires from the streets and from donations. He thoroughly washes each tire before cutting and forming them into tiny beds. Then he paints the rubber surface with vivid colors to give stray animals a gorgeous-looking home. Lastly, he sews the mattress into place to give the animals a comfortable place where they can sleep and lounge.
Amarildo Silva Filho picks old tires from the streets and upcycles them to turn them into beds for stray cats and dogs
Filho became steadfast on his benevolent advocacy to provide beds for stray cats and dogs. He was able to handcraft over 6,000 beds since then, helping more than 6,000 stray animals from the beginning. His creations have been recognized worldwide that he is now receiving an overwhelming amount of orders from pet owners. Even if you’re not a pet owner, you could also lend a hand to help stray animals in your neighborhood. If you don’t have the extra time to build pet beds, you can purchase Filho’s handcrafted pet beds through Caominhas Pets Facebook page.
These dogs look so cozy and happy with their new bed
