We Are Rocks 2 Dogs
My name is Alexander Tsao. I am a High School student from Redmond, Washington. Living in the Pacific Northwest, I was raised to be passionate about the environment and conserving our home. We all have our own definition of home.
I consider my home to be the dense forest that surrounds our region, the important people in my life, and my best friend, Jinger. Jinger is my nine-year-old rescue who my family treats like a princess. Seeing the amazing life that we can give to Jinger makes me want to give every dog the opportunity to be treated like royalty. This was what inspired me to help dogs and protect the environment.
Four years ago, I began rock climbing and have recently began competitive climbing. Each time I would ascend a wall, the same question would arise in my head: what happens to the ropes after they become too old to use? With a quick google search, I discovered that because of safety regulations that require climbing gyms to regularly replace their ropes, thousands of ropes make it to the landfill each year.
I knew that I needed to come up with an idea that would reduce the number of ropes that are simply thrown away. A lightbulb came on in my head: I would upcycle used ropes into dog leashes. My leashes are donated to local no-kill dog shelters with the intent to promote adoption of rescued animals, serving as incentive for adoptees. I also sell my leashes with 100% of the profit going to support these shelters.