Life is hard for stray dogs. Not only do they not have a loving home – something that no dog should ever lack – but they are often subjected to crowded and uncomfortable lodging inside animal shelters. The sad reality is that many animal shelters are overwhelmed by the number of homeless dogs and do not always have space or resources to accommodate them.

In response to overcrowding, one Austin, Texas-based animal shelter decided to think outside the box in order to provide accommodation for their homeless dogs who are currently waiting for their forever homes. Rather than building kennels, Austin Pets Alive! took a more creative approach and erected small houses for their shelter dogs.

Not only are these tiny homes adorable, but they also help to house-train the dogs by providing them with a “home-like environment.” Another big plus is that they also double as office spaces for the shelter’s staff and volunteers!

In a post on Facebook, the shelter introduced their latest pet project by writing, “Introducing APA! tiny homes! These cottages will double as comfortable and quiet housing for the most in-need dogs and workspaces for staff and volunteers.” The shelter even included a few photos of the finished homes in their post.

https://www.facebook.com/austinpetsalive/posts/10159121252794066

The shelter added that the homes will be used for “decompression, training, and quality-of-life purposes.” They also shared insight about the houses, noting that they will all have their own little yards as well as both heat and air-conditioning.

And the insides will be decorated with a workspace for staff and plenty of lounging spots for the dogs.

The shelter’s ultimate goal is for the cottages to be a new solution to the kennel life that many strays are subject to. They want to transition to these homes for the shelter dogs so they have somewhere nice to stay until they’re either adopted to their forever homes or fostered. The highly anticipated transition is set to go ahead next month in October when the first group of shelter dogs gets to move into the new cottages.

Needless to say, the shelter has already shared that they are “very excited about this project,” and we’d imagine so are the pups! No more kennels for a while – and that is always a good thing!