A Turkish company, Pugedon has created a somewhat bizarre but effective way to kill two birds with one stone – their vending machine in Istanbul takes plastic bottles deposited for recycling and dispenses food and water for the city’s stray dogs.
That’s right. The machine works because the profit from the recycled bottles covers the cost of the dog food that the machine dispenses. Istanbul is known for its high number of stray dogs – some estimates there are as many as 150,000. Some locals love having the dogs around, who have adjusted so well to city life that they stop at traffic lights and walkways, but others want to get rid of them because of their aggression and their role as disease vectors.
What’s your take on this? Do these machines encourage the presence of more stray animals or animal welfare and environmental benefits far outweigh the cons?
