I’m not gonna lie to you, trains are truly the bane of my bain-marie — specifically Sydney Trains. However, this stinkin’ cute train that takes dogs with disabilities on daily rides gets 10 out of 10 stars from me.
The wholesome tale (pun not intended) takes us all the way to beautiful Türkiye, where the chairwoman of the Association of Paws Holding Onto Life Buket Ozgunlu revealed that she built a train specifically for dogs who are unable to cop some walkies due to their disabilities.
The train — dubbed as the “Woof Express” — is built out of plastic barrels and is decked out with colourful designs. The barrels, which act like little personal carriages for the dogs, are then hooked to a tractor which takes them on a daily scenic drive.
According to Reuters, the shelter is located outside Tükiye’s capital Ankara, so the pups get some views that some humans will never see in their lifetime. How lucky!
Speaking to the publication, Ozgunlu revealed that her father, who is paralysed, was the person who sparked this genius idea.
“This is how the idea for the train came up: my father is also paralysed and disabled. We felt the need to take him out (by car) and make him walk,” Ozgunlu shared.
“Then, I said our kids (the dogs) do not see anything, they must want this too because the ones who are disabled are more traumatised, they feel a different intensity of emotions.”
As for the vibrant designs, Ozgunlu revealed to the publication that this was to ensure that the pupperonis got a first-class ride. And TBH, their rides are looking quite fancier than my car. Their barrels are giving Suki from the Fast and Furious franchise.
Ozgunlu shared that the shelter currently houses 560 rescue dogs and that 300 of them have experienced some form of physical suffering.
“I can say we took all of them from the arms of death,” she added.
If you’d like to stay updated on Ozgunlu’s animal advocacy work you can follow her on Facebook. She also posts every now and then about the Woof Express, which is the perfect thing for a daily dose of cuteness!
Image source: Getty Images / Omer Taha Cetin