When temperatures in Maharashtra started to climb to a scorching 42°C (107°F ), Animal Rahat’s team took action to help the many vulnerable village animals and wildlife who would suffer from the unprecedented heat wave.

In Compassionate Citizen workshops, students and teachers are asked to leave full water pots out for birds and other wildlife. One student took the request to heart and asked her dad and some friends to help her build a pond behind her house for the many animals who pass through the area!

After a Compassionate Citizen workshop, this student—with help from her dad and her friends—built a pond near her house to help birds and other animals cool off.

In its regular meetings with the community, Animal Rahat’s team is asking people in rural villages to place containers of water outside their homes and to encourage others they know to do the same. In urban areas, Animal Rahat’s volunteers are requesting that residents, businesses, and other animal rescue organizations join in this compassionate practice.

Concrete tanks and mud pots can cost between Rs 1,700 and Rs 3,000 (between $21 and $38), so the team is also helping to supply them if costs are an issue.