Скачать или смотреть Bogota school gives stray dogs a second chance, and students a new perspective

(18 Jul 2025)

FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4591147

RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Bogota, Colombia - 17 July 2025
1. Various of students at a public school with dogs rescued from abuse
2. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Andrea Murcia, Four-Legged Friends program:
++PARTLY OVERLAID BY SHOT 1++
"Well, we started secretly because this is a public entity, a school, so we fed those who arrived (at the shelter), but nevertheless, here inside, they sneaked in with their suitcases."
3. Dogs in cages at the shelter inside the school being cared for by students who volunteer their time
4. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Francisco Paz, Four-Legged Friends program:
++PARTLY COVERED BY SHOT 5=+
"The children's approach to the dogs and the dogs' approach to the children is something I loved because I saw a two-way education"
5. Aerials of students and teachers training dogs on the school basketball court ++MUTE++
6. Dog with child
7. Maria Alejandra petting a dog inside a cage at the shelter
8. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Maria Alejandra Molano, school student:
++PARTLY COVERED BY SHOTS 7, 8 AND 9++
"I changed. I've improved significantly in my teamwork. I was a person who didn't like to approach people. I preferred to keep quiet about many things. The project taught me how animals protect us from many things and how their positive energy and our energy change them and us."
9. Various of school teacher caring for a cat




STORYLINE:
A school in Colombia’s capital has become an unlikely refuge for dozens of rescued dogs, offering them not only a second chance at life, but a home filled with affection.

At the Delia Zapata Olivella School in northeastern Bogotá, the program “Four-Legged Friends” has been operating for several years.

Since its inception, it has rescued and rehomed more than 580 dogs, many of them victims of abuse and neglect.

Each morning, the dogs eagerly await the arrival of the students, who hug and care for them as part of their daily routine.

Inside a tent set up on school grounds, children learn the basics of dog training, practice yoga alongside the animals, and offer them the love they were once denied.

The school’s animal shelter, which has received recognition from Bogotá’s City Hall, has been described as a pioneering effort in the development of an “animal rights classroom.”

The project began with a single dog rescued from the streets by students and a supportive teacher.

The animal, later named Mickey, refused to eat.

When taken to a vet, it was discovered that his snout had been sealed shut with an industrial stapler.

After three surgeries, Mickey survived—and became the first official rescue of the initiative.

From that moment on, students, teachers, and school authorities worked together to build a dedicated space for animals on school grounds, transforming part of the institution into a fully functional shelter.

While the animals recover and prepare for adoption, students benefit as well.

According to Francisco Paz, the project’s coordinator, regular interaction with the dogs helps children develop emotional intelligence and resilience.

"The children's approach to the dogs and the dogs' approach to the children is something I loved because I saw a two-way education," said Paz.

Fourteen-year-old María Alejandra Molano says the shelter was the main reason she enrolled at the school.

After experiencing bullying in her earlier school years, she found a safe space among the animals.


Today, Molano dreams of becoming a veterinarian and starting her own animal foundation.

AP Video shot by Marko Alvarez



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