Inspired by the success of Pokémon GO, the city of Esteio in the Brazilian State of Rio Grande do Soul has launched a campaign to place its homeless dogs with loving homes, called Catioro Go, which translates as 'Doggy Go'. The company encourages people to 'catch' abandoned dogs at the local pound, and train and love them as they would Pocket Monsters.
“The doggies are already neutered and vaccinated,” the municipality's city hall told Sputnik.
Their Twitter post speaks for itself: More than 20 dogs are looking for a new home #catiorogo. Get to know more:
Tem mais de 20 cãezinhos aguardando um novo lar #catiorogo Saiba mais: https://t.co/VEszEanekk pic.twitter.com/AJxW9otaM2
— Prefeitura de Esteio (@prefaEsteio) 20 июля 2016 г.
A post was also placed on the Facebook page of city hall.
“In our city pound lives a big variety of animals with different skills. They are waiting for their coaches, which could cuddle them and help them evolve. In order to catch one, you simply have to come to the pound (Avenida Luiz Pasteur, 7275 – Bairro Três Marias); its working hours are Monday to Friday, from 8 am to 12 pm and from 1 pm to 5 pm.”
City hall cautioned would-be collectors that the “doggies” cannot participate in fights, and advised that you can't keep them in metal spheres. So being a coach is a huge responsibility.
According to the city hall, “doggies” can only be caught by adults, who must arrive at the pound with documents proving their identity and that they have a place of residence.
