Vending Machine for Stray Dogs

A Turkish company called Pugedon has introduced a vending machine in Istanbul that accepts plastic bottles for recycling and dispenses food and water for stray dogs in return. That’s right, it helps protect the environment as well as provides sustenance to animals.

omeless animals and garbage are just two of the many problems cities grapple with. Last month a Turkish company unveiled an ingenious machine that targets both of those issues, combining recycling and feeding stray dogs.

The Pugeon Smart Recycling Box releases kibble in exchange for trash, reminiscent of the machines at grocery stores that give you a nickel for cans and plastic bottles.

Located around Istanbul, anyone can walk up to the solar powered gadgets and insert an empty plastic bottle at the top. This activates the machine to dispense a small amount of kibble in a dish at the bottom. The bottles, which are later recycled, cover the cost of the food.

Istanbul is home to more than 150,000 stray dogs and cats, so the rations are gobbled up quickly. The city has struggled to manage the overpopulation problem over the years. In 2004, Turkey introduced an animal protection law centered around neutering homeless animals, but it is not well enforced.

While the Box helps hungry pups, it doesn’t help solve the overpopulation problem. But besides providing food and disposing of trash, the machine plays a third important role–getting people to think and talk about homeless animals. Hopefully the Box will inspire people to take an active role towards a lasting solution for the stray pups.

Share this:

Like this: