Mall Gives Homeless Dogs A Warm Bed When Temperatures Drop

Volunteers brought boxes, blankets, and food for the pups

A Turkish mall opened its doors to homeless dogs this month when temperatures plummeted. Instead of sleeping in the snow-covered streets, the pups were nestled inside of blankets in a warm shopping center. The generous humans also left bowls of food for their new furry friends.

With temperatures below freezing and as much as 12 inches of snow in parts of Istanbul, the employees at the Atrium Mall in the Bakirkoy neighborhood felt like they had to help. Who can fathom anyone sleeping outside in that type of weather — even dogs?

“They put cardboard under and blankets on the street dogs. And a lady was feeding them,” explained Ali Cetrik, who took several photos of the four-legged friends resting in front of storefronts at the mall. “There are good people who make life beautiful. What a heart. Thank you.”

Since there are an estimated 150,000 stray dogs in Istanbul, many people joined the cause, according to Mother Nature Network. Citizens have dropped off cardboard boxes for the base of the makeshift dog bed and blankets, so the pups stay warm.

One of the volunteers who donated blankets and food for the homeless animals told reporters that if “all of us, if we can help as much as we can, all the stray animals will be in good shape,” and added, “the street animals need help all over the world.”

Some retail employees in Istanbul took it a step forward and opened their shop doors to the dogs so they could sleep inside instead of in the mall’s corridor. One such store, Penti, which looks like a women’s clothing store, shared some photos of the relaxed-looking pups getting some much-needed shuteye. When Penti store manager Arzu Inan shared her photos of the dogs online, she added: “Don’t forget that only true love warms up.”