In a unique urban intervention, two college students took and attached a series of balloons marked with written phrases to stray canines Santiago, Chile. The messages encourage people to feed, pet and play with these ubiquitous animals, lost and in need of love. While one person carried the colorful balloon bouquet and attached the strings, the other of the pair filmed the fascinating results as pedestrians noticed and stopped.

As the video demonstrates, the dogs with balloon additions got the attention of others on the street quite quickly. Man’s neglected best friend became visible once again, with passers by stopping to hand over leftovers and spend time with these estranged animals.

The project is titled ESTOY AQUÍ (Intervención Urbana), which translates to a simple plea: I AM HERE. Written on the balloons are phrases like ‘feed me’, ‘pet me’, ‘hug me’ and ‘scratch me’.

From young puppies to older pals, thousands of homeless dogs roam the streets of this city. Most of them are friendly and simply in search of scraps – in turn, they are normally humanely avoided but largely ignored as the daily bustle of urban life takes place around them.

Aside from human interest, the dogs themselves sat up and took notice as well, in many cases playing with their own balloons and strings, or interacting with one another’s new colorful accessories.