RENT-FOR-HOPE

Growing up in Chicago and Bangkok, I often had dogs. When I returned to Thailand for work, I started adopting strays instead of buying them.

Moving to Malaysia surprised me. Dogs had little freedom to roam, with only two parks in Kuala Lumpur allowing them. Stories of abused strays regularly made the news. I wanted to do something.

We lived in a condo that didn't allow pets, but often took our kids to the dog park.

One day, my eldest son asked for a dog to walk. We said no, as usual. But he marched into a nearby pet shop and asked the owner if he could rent one.

The owner smiled and looked at me. I was stunned, but thought it was a pretty cool idea.

And just like that, RENT FOR HOPE was born.

The idea was easy. Making it happen took grit and sweat. Everyone on the team believed in it, but we soon discovered the challenges.

The shelter dogs had spent much of their lives in cages. Many weren't used to long walks or strangers. We divided the work, trained the dogs, found sponsors and raised funds. It wasn't easy, but we wanted to give these dogs a chance.

RENT FOR HOPE let people walk shelter dogs, giving them exercise, human interaction and a chance to be seen.

The event succeeded, and the RSPCA went on to organize more events, helping more dogs find better lives.

Sometimes the best ideas don't come from a brief or brainstorming session. Sometimes they come from a kid who just wants to rent a dog.