Caxias do Sul Dog Favela

Brazil’s impoverished favelas are known to be a dangerous place for the people who live there, but they are also a threat to the countless stray animals that populate the maze-like streets, which is why one humane organization has built a miniature slum just for dogs and cats.

Built in the town of Caxias do Sul, where the stray dog and cat population booms do to lack of spaying and neutering facilities, the miniature shantytown is an attempt by the animal rights organization So Ama (Just Love) to care for the beasts that would otherwise be the victims of starvation, disease, and casual cruelty. So Ama wanted to build a fully functioning shelter to look after all of the animals, but when they realized they did not have the funds to complete the project, they took inspiration from the surrounding city and began building simple doghouses out of cobbled together wood and sheet metal. Housing more than 1,600 dogs and 200 cats among the 1,000 unadorned units tightly packed onto the organization’s property, So Ama’s facility mirrors the conditions of millions of impoverished Brazilians in the surrounding area with eerie accuracy. Unfortunately the dogs and cats also face many of the same problems.