The winter is a rough time for stray animals, many of them die from the freezing temperatures. Thankfully, an animal lover is saving the furry creatures by providing them with a warm place to sleep.

A man named Philip Rogich (also known as the Batman of Ogden), based in Ogden, Utah is building shelters from upcycled coolers for stray and feral cats to sleep during the cold season. He was inspired by a man on Facebook making these cooler shelters, and he decided to try making them too. Then he posted on Facebook asking people to give up their discarded or unwanted coolers, and it took off. Rogich has already made 77 cooler shelters and has enough coolers to make 15 more.

Rogich said:

I do a lot of charity work mostly with children. My wife and I are also animal lovers, and I wanted to do something for them.

Rogich made a “how-to” video so people all over the world can make animal shelters too. He hopes people will follow so that stray animals around the world can survive in the winter.

He explained:

They [the coolers] are already insulated to keep things cold, but they can be used to keep things warm as well. We’re going to use it to keep animals warm. Old ones end up in landfills, and they don’t decompose. I’m giving them another use.

The animal hero believes that everyone has a cooler in their garage that they’re not using. He explains how easy it is to turn coolers into a shelter, and only a few items are needed to accomplish such a task. Those items include a drill with a 6-inch bit, pipe insulation, and straw.

First, you drill an entrance hole. Then, add some three-quarter-inch pipe insulation to the lining of the entrance. Finally, you fill the inside with some straw, and your animal shelter is complete. Easy as that! Two to three cats could fit in a medium-sized cooler.

The reason for using straw is it has an incredible ability to dry out, which is why people have used it for hundreds of years as bedding for animals.

Rogich is thrilled with the outcome of his efforts:

People donate old coolers, straw, and money. I had no idea this was going to get so big. It started with a Facebook post asking for old coolers. Then the local Fox station did a story on me. The story went national. I’ve been hearing from people from all over the world. I’m glad to be a catalyst for bringing a little good to our four-legged friends.

For information or if you want to donate supplies, you can contact Rogich on Facebook. Plus, check out his video below if you want to learn how to make some animal shelters.