The Boy with a Shelter in His Heart

When most kids are riding bikes or playing video games, Eduardo Cayado was doing something else entirely.

At just 9 years old, walking the streets of Annapolis, Brazil, he began bringing home animals no one else wanted — abandoned dogs, sick kittens, injured strays. One by one, he fed them, healed them, and gave them names. But more than that, he gave them love.

That love only grew stronger.

Now 17, Eduardo has turned his childhood mission into something extraordinary: he opened his own animal shelter, EduPacoci — a safe haven for forgotten animals. There, he provides food, medical treatment, and most importantly, warmth and affection. Every animal is seen. Every animal is known. And when they’re ready, Eduardo finds them homes — families who will continue the love he started.

He doesn’t do it alone. Over time, people noticed — and believed. Regular donors and volunteers now support the shelter. But Eduardo still walks 20 miles every single day between his home and the rented house that now serves as the shelter. Rain or sun, tired or not, he shows up.

Because they need him.

But Eduardo’s compassion doesn’t end with animals.

In his spare time — yes, he somehow finds it — he hand-makes thoughtful gifts for residents at a nearby nursing home. This past Christmas, he surprised all 52 elderly residents with personalized presents. Not store-bought, not generic — made with his own two hands, each one crafted with care.

Why does he do it?

Because everyone, he says, deserves to feel remembered.

Eduardo Cayado is still just 17. But in a world that sometimes feels tired and cold, he’s proof that love — real, active, generous love — is very much alive.

And it’s walking 20 miles a day.