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When Megan Brockman, owner of Urbana, VA restaurant, Café Mojo, read the story of a pair of dogs that died from heatstroke during Virginia’s recent hot spell, she decided to take some creative action against it happening again!
“A friend of mine has a kiddie pool for her dog and I thought, ‘There you go,’” she told ABC News.
The entrepreneur and dog lover purchased a stack of kiddie pools from the local Dollar Store and put them outside with a sign that read: “If Your Dog Has To Be Outside…Please Take a Pool To Help Keep Them Cool.” (see photo)
She added, “If the kiddie pools are gone, I’ll replace them as soon as I can,” signing it, “Thanks, Megan.”
In the 3 weeks since putting the pools out, dog owners have kept cool with about 30 of them so far. Megan says she relies on friends and family to bring pools by when they come to visit.
Last weekend, Brittany Magill and Matt Rogers, were visiting Urbana when they spotted the sign and the pools on their way out to dinner.
“My boyfriend saw it and said, ‘Oh, look at that sign. How cool is that?,’” Magill told ABCNews.com. “We just thought it was really sweet and generous for someone to offer up all these doggie pools.”
Magill posted her photo to Reddit, where it quickly went viral.
A small kiddie pool is an inexpensive, easy way to keep your dog cool and hydrated in the summer heat. For those that can’t afford one, or don’t understand how dangerous the heat can be for dogs, Megan hopes that others will see her sign and stack of pools and be inspired to do the same.
“If we can spread awareness and have people care more about all the living creatures then that would be amazing,” she said. “People aren’t the only creatures on the planet. Dogs can’t help themselves. People have to do it.”
To start a similar doggie pool giveaway in your own town, visit your local garden supply or big box stores for the inexpensive pools, reach out to friends and neighbors for donations, and be a part of the movement to save dogs’ lives!
Cheryl Reese
Aug 8, 2013 at 8:55 pm
While this seems on the surface to be an excellent way to keep dogs cool and provide relief those left outdoor year round, the people that need it the most are probably also going to be the ones that put it out, don’t bother to ever empty and clean it, and keep it full of cool, clean water, and it will instead become an mosquito infested pool of slimy green stagnated water that most people wouldn’t let their own dogs near. And they probably don’t keep their dogs on heartworm preventative either. I hate to sound like a negative nelly but those same people are probably the ones most likely to avail themselves of a free kiddy pool…..Look, free pool!
While much credit needs to go to this women for so generously offering to help the town dogs stay cool, some people are stupid enough to just consider this an excuse not to offer clean cool drinking water to their pets daily (in hot areas it should be more often).
In other words, they also need some education and a caring attitude towards their pet as well, and I’m not sure that is something so easily provided. You can’t always fix stupid, and unfortunately there are plenty if that around.
I should add that when I complained about my neighbor’s dog being left without water all the time (I provided it for him daily), they bought a kiddy pool that just stood stagnant are drew mosquitos galore! Just another good reason to ignore dog. Some people just shouldn’t have dogs if they don’t want to care for them.
Susan
Aug 7, 2013 at 11:38 pm
Megan, you are wonderful………..bless your heart!!!
Judy Phillips
Aug 7, 2013 at 6:44 pm
LOVE IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! a sign just for the Idiots, thank you
William
Aug 7, 2013 at 4:42 pm
I hope that I can get a pool soon.
I really miss my Sai being inside with me, but my landlord is being a total bastard and is threatening with eviction if the dogs are inside of the trailer.
There is shade in the yard and I always check if they have water, but I still feel very guilty and sad about this.
Is there anything I can do legally to make the landlord allow him inside when it is too hot?
Kathleen Daley
Aug 7, 2013 at 3:27 pm
What a great idea. Thank you for your generosity, Megan. If I’m ever in Urbana, VA, I’ll be stopping at your restaurant.