The Incredible Story of a Group of Orphans and Their Adopted Dogs

In a riverside concrete amphitheater in Dhaka, Bangladesh, a community of young street children live with their beloved stray dogs. Separated from their parents or orphaned in the slums of Dhaka, the boys forge a close-knit family with their adopted animals. This is Robindra Shorbod, a park where the kids gather and sell recyclable plastic containers for food, which they unfailingly share with their ten devoted canine companions, Tiger, Romeo, Bullet, Kula, Moti, Michael, Tom, Jax, Lalu, and Bagha.

While visiting Bangladesh, photographer Sam Edmonds met the boys through Obhoyaronno, an NGO committed to changing the wide-spread and horrific killing of street dogs that persists across the region. Dedicated to humane treatment, Obhoyaronno saves lives by spaying, neutering, and vaccinating animals before returning them to the exact location in which they were found. Among these are the the ten dogs living with the boys in Robindra, each bearing a small tear in the ear to signify that they are uninfected with rabies.

For Robindra Boys, Edmonds told the boys not to pose, allowing each to engage organically with the animal most dear to him. Against austere blackness, the tenderly illuminated pairs reach upwards in play, instinctively supporting each other’s weight as they stand center frame. With these familiar and cherishing embraces, dog and child hold fast to the exquisite union through which each is cared for with unceasing devotion. For more, visit Edmonds’ online print store and follow him on Instagram. To help the boys and their dogs, please visit Obhoyaronno.

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