One New Zealand man thought man’s best friend deserved a little something special this season.
As a way of thanking the neighbourhood dogs, Andrew Taylor of South Island cut down tree branches and collected them to fashion a “stick library.”
Using tools around his home, the 59-year-old sanded down any rough edges to create the perfect natural toys for his furry friends.
To make matters even sweeter, Taylor built a box to hold the sticks. On the front, he carved out the words “Stick Library,” along with a message asking owners to “please return” them when their pets are done enjoying the box’s contents.
The box was installed in the park on Dec. 11 with great success.
Taylor’s daughter, Tayla Reece, shared video footage of the thoughtful creation on TikTok. The video follows Taylor around as he builds the box and installs it at the park.
“Bella loves sticks so dad made a stick library for the new dog park,” Reece wrote in the caption of the TikTok, which featured Elvis Presley’s Hound Dog playing in the background.
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Dogs big and small can be seen excitedly poking their heads into the box to pick out their perfect stick.
“Happy doggo,” the caption added.
“Our dog Bella had become a stick lover because she ripped to shreds any balls or toys,” Reece told Metro in an interview.
“While trimming the trees, my dad found himself with a lot of dead branches.
“Knowing from experience how hard it can be to find a good stick, and that the new dog park was opening soon, he had the idea that he would save them and put them in some kind of box.”
A week ago, a crowd of pet owners arrived for the library’s opening day.
“Approximately 50 people turned up with their dogs and one guy even brought his cat,” she said.
“There was a disbelief of how simple the idea was, but it’s one of those ideas no one had thought of,” she continued.
“All the dog owners appreciate it as they all have experienced the ‘good stick search,’ which isn’t always fruitful. It’s an idea that just makes sense to them.”
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