To give a new face to the homeless and come to the aid of the stray dogs in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Glenn Greenwald and his husband, David Miranda, launched an original project: to create a shelter where the employees come from the street.[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="640"]
Glenn Greenwald and his dogs. Source: Glenn Greenwald[/caption]A professional journalist, Glenn had produced two short films in 2015, produced by Laura Poitras (whose work Citizenfourwon an Oscar for best documentary in 2015) to show to the world the tenderness and attention the homeless are able to give to their animals, even stray and sick animals.These two short films were accompanied by an article on their site, The Intercept, titled "How Dogs Forge a Bond with Rio’s Homeless That Is Life-Saving for Both."[caption id="attachment_35936" align="alignnone" width="619"]
David Miranda and his dogs. Source: Heloisa Passos[/caption]David Miranda, Glenn's husband, ran in the local elections in 2016, and managed to obtain a seat on the city council, and promised to create several programs for the homeless, humans and dogs alike.Unfortunately, the dire financial situation in Brazil made any financing next to impossible, and accentuates the gap between the different social classes.
Source: YouTube/Field of Vision
To accomplish their goals, and to inspire others with similar projects, the couple decided to launch a new type of shelter, where the animals and employees were both homeless. The venture had two goals: to allow the homeless real work taking care of animals, and allowing the city's stray animals to receive care.In addition, a partner with a local charity was put in place. Each person hired by the shelter would receive temporary lodging, clothing, advice to help stabilize their lives, help opening a bank account and making the transition to permanent employment.[caption id="attachment_35933" align="alignnone" width="644"]
Lucas and his friend Wallace next to a sick puppy who they saved in the streets of Rio. Source: Glenn Greenwald[/caption]The first person hired by the rescue was named Lucas, and he's 20 years old. Glenn met Lucas after the young man had taken in a sick puppy, and took care of him for several months. Touched by this gesture, Glenn immediately hired him.A crowd funding campaign was launched on the site, GoFundMe, to help finance this out of the ordinary project. To date, they have raised over $30,000, out of a $200,000 goal. To help, you can clickhere to donate.Watch the description of their project in their own words below:[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOchk9ujDmg[/embed]Tens of thousands of dogs and cats end up in shelters each year, either due to neglect, abuse or abandonment. Consider adopting before you shop, and visit your local shelters before going to a breeder. Every dog and cat deserves a fair chance at a forever home.If you live in England, you can visit the RSPCA, and if you live in the United States, you can visit the ASPCA to get more information about pets available for adoption.
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