With the hustle and bustle of human life, most of us have never taken the time to think about how stray animals live. But if you look closely, you’d see what it’s really like for these homeless creatures.
They spend their days roaming the streets, scavenging for food in the trash, drinking dirty street water, and dodging traffic and cruel humans. This is their harsh reality.
This is why, whether big or small, every kind of help we give to stray animals matters, just like what this furniture store in Istanbul, Turkey, is doing.
Whenever Dr. Cem Baykal passes by Istikbal Mobile on his way to work, he would always see a pair of stray dogs sleeping on a mattress out in front. Turns out, these two pups are best friends and are inseparable.
The shop sells various home items such as bedding, sofas, curtains, and mattresses. Its owner has a big heart for stray dogs in the area and decided to make their lives a bit easier by letting them enjoy one of their products: a mattress.
“The owner of this shop puts one of the beds (with a plastic cover on it) in front of the shop,” Dr. Baykal told The Dodo. “This bed may be the one they sell that day or it may be one of the incoming ones.”
“They don’t put the bed on its side, they let it stay flat, and these two stray dogs lay and sleep there every time,” he added. “If it is winter, the shop provides a bed every day. And if it is summer, they give them shade and water.”
Because of the shop owner’s kindness, these dogs no longer have to make do with the cold cement sidewalks. They get to enjoy sleeping with the warmth provided by the cozy mattress.
The dogs are well known in the area and depend on the help of neighbors for food and water, but this store took it a step further by providing them with a place to sleep comfortably.
According to Dr. Baykal, the street where the dogs are is a “rich area” where most people are kind enough to give homeless cats and dogs food or water. However, no one has provided them with beddings to sleep on, except the furniture shop.
During one rainy day, Dr. Baykal passed by the store and saw the furry best friends snoozing on the mattress. He decided to capture a photo of them and shared it on Twitter to thank the shop’s owner.
His post got a mix of reactions from netizens. Some questioned the cleanliness of the mattresses—even with a plastic cover—while others praised the owner for his compassion towards the strays.
Dr. Baykal stopped by the store recently to check on the stray dogs. Thankfully, he saw that they were doing okay despite the inclement weather.
“This morning we had very heavy rain in Istanbul, and I saluted my friends on my way to the hospital in the early morning,” he said. “The shop was closed but the bedding was still there. The lazy one was still sleeping, but his friend was awake and accompanied me to the pedestrian crossing for my safety.”
Judging by this dog’s actions, it seems like he just wants to pay-it-forward!
All dogs deserve a loving home and a safe place to sleep every night. They also need a family who will love and care for them for the rest of their lives.
So if you’re looking for a furry companion, try visiting your local shelters first. Who knows, you might just find your future best friend in one of them.
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