Teens in London, Ont., build dog houses for Indigenous communities

Students at Saunders Secondary School retrofit shipping crates into insulated doghouses and plan to send 30 this year to several nearby First Nations; the project has produced close to 300 doghouses since it began in 2015.

Students at Saunders Secondary School in London, Ont., are using lunch breaks to convert old shipping crates into insulated, shingled doghouses for Indigenous communities in southwestern Ontario. The initiative began in 2015 and is supervised by teacher Stephen Merklinger. By the end of this school year, the students plan to send 30 doghouses to Delaware Nation at Moraviantown, Oneida Nation of the Thames, Chippewas of the Thames First Nation and Munsee-Delaware Nation. Over the years, students have also built a feral cat shelter, a gazebo, kindergarten playsets, benches and picnic tables for communities. Key facts: - Students retrofit shipping crates into insulated and shingled doghouses during lunch breaks. - The group plans to send 30 doghouses this school year to four First Nations in the region. - Since 2015, the project has produced close to 300 doghouses and additional community structures. - The Thames Valley District School Board has provided funding for materials for the past four years. - Alison Bresette of the Aboriginal Community and Animal Advocacy Connection says demand is high in some communities because of limited historic access to veterinary care and local practices around animals. Summary: The hands-on project gives students practical skills while supplying winter shelter where families may face limited veterinary access. Participation has expanded from a small Indigenous mentorship program to volunteers across the school and support from community donors. The next step is to deliver the planned 30 doghouses to the named First Nations by the end of the school year.