In Rio de Janeiro, an animal shelter called Abrigo HOPE doesn’t just rescue abandoned dogs. It exclusively hires homeless people to care for them.
The idea came from a simple observation: many people living on the streets of Rio already share what little they have with stray dogs and cats. The bond between them is real.
So when the shelter launched in 2017, it was built around that connection.
Homeless workers are brought in as full-time caregivers for the rescued animals.
They feed them, clean them, walk them, and help socialize them for adoption.
In return, they receive a paycheck, support finding stable housing, and a path back into employment through a partnership with CREAS, a
Brazilian social services agency.
The shelter runs entirely on public donations.
It cares for nearly 200 dogs at any given time and has found homes for thousands more.
It also provides food and medication to lower-income pet owners in the surrounding community.
One of the first hires was a young man named Lucas, who had been living on the streets while caring for a sick puppy no one else would help.
The income from the shelter allowed him to get his own apartment and start rebuilding his life.
In 2024, HOPE secured a new parcel of land to build a larger facility that will double its capacity, with an opening planned for 2026.
Two populations that most people walk past without looking.
One shelter that saw what they could do for each other.
They didn’t just give people a job. They gave them a reason to show up every day and something that loves them back