A volunteer reviewed the security cameras at a shelter in Brazil and discovered a scene that surprised her: 58-year-old Antônio Anastácio Calheiros was sleeping on a hard, cold wooden table, without a mattress or pillow, while dozens of dogs remained around him. It was neither an occasional situation nor a way of attracting attention. Antônio had chosen to sleep there so he could listen to the animals during the night and prevent them from fighting.
The man lives with more than 800 dogs on a farm in Marechal Deodoro, in the Brazilian state of Alagoas. To buy the property where the shelter operates, he sold some of his furniture. Later, when he needed money to feed the animals, he sold practically everything he had left in his home.
Caring for so many animals represents an enormous challenge. The shelter uses approximately 200 kilos of food a day, in addition to needing medications, treatments, and special food for dogs suffering from health problems, low immunity, or malnutrition. Antônio has two workers and a cook who help with the shelter’s tasks. The shelter operates mainly thanks to donations.
The decision to sleep on the table has a specific explanation. According to Antônio, there were not enough kennels at the shelter, and some large dogs lived together with smaller ones, in addition to having different temperaments. That is why he preferred to stay nearby during the night: if he slept farther away, he could not hear what was happening among them.
Antônio also explained that he tries to keep the dogs loose whenever possible and avoids keeping them chained. Only some animals considered very aggressive remained restrained because they could hurt the others.
Of a group that once came close to 900 dogs, he estimated that only 14 or 15 remained chained, meaning less than 1%. At that time, they were also building larger kennels so those animals could have more space.
His story with dogs began after the death of his only pet, a pit bull that became ill. From then on, he began rescuing, caring for, and protecting abandoned animals, eventually dedicating practically all his resources to a task that had begun with a single dog and ended up involving hundreds.