Katie Mezwa, pictured, said she wanted to give back to the community by providing this “free dog library.” She encourages neighbors to take any supplies they need.
Photo provided by Katie Mezwa
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ROYAL OAK – A local resident has come up with a way to help dog owners who may need assistance while walking their dogs.
Katie Mezwa lives near the corner of Lincoln Avenue and South Pleasant Street, and in front of her house there is a “free dog library” that contains all the supplies a dog owner might need for a daily walk.
Mezwa moved to Royal Oak about a year ago and noticed the great care her neighbors show on a daily basis.
“It didn’t take long for me to see really strong signs of community here. The city is full of it. You know, there are always neighbors looking out for their neighbors,” she said. “So I thought this little free dog library could be a cool and unique way to give back to the community and the neighborhood and pay it forward.”
The free dog library is similar to a little free library that usually contains books. Little free libraries can be found in various locations in Royal Oak. Instead of books, Mezwa’s little free dog library contains bags, treats, wipes and water.
Mezwa said every morning she fills up a reusable water bottle that is placed in the dog library and can be used to fill a pull-out bowl for dogs who need a drink.
Mezwa said she and her family have always cared for pets and also take in dogs in need. She works with the organization Peace, Love and Paws Rescue.
They currently have two dogs, both of which were originally foster homes. The dogs fit in so well with their family that they ended up keeping them as their own.
One of her dogs, Rosie, was a foster mom from Detroit and grew up in what Mezwa said was an overcrowded shelter. Mezwa said Rosie was in pretty bad shape at first, but Mezwa was able to bring her back to her “brave, fun, young, healthy self.”
“I’ve always been an animal lover and five years ago my husband and I rescued our first dog named Rio, who was about 13 years old. We rescued him when we lived in California,” she said. “He really sparked our love of animals and my desire to help those in shelters and foster dogs.”
Rio moved to Royal Oak with the Mezwa family and loves looking out the window at all the neighbors and their dogs taking advantage of the free dog library.
“They are both little dogs who had a really tough start in life, but we were able to show them a new life and they are both living their dream here with us,” she said.
Mezwa had the free dog library project approved by Royal Oak Code Enforcement and said the approval process was easy.
“They said the library was fine as long as it stayed on my property,” she said. “Communication was quick, clear and straightforward.”
Walking through Mezwa’s neighborhood with her dog, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Robin, Rihana Yenpanya says the dog library idea is interesting and helpful.
“It’s quite nice that she did that,” Yenpanya said. “Of course, sometimes when you walk a dog, you think you have everything, but then it turns out that’s not the case. Sometimes it must be quite nice for people.”
Yenpanya said she has used the dog library a few times when she had forgotten materials.
“I think the people who walk here really enjoy the little treat they can give their dog on the way home,” she said.
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