Clayton Hodges loves dogs, and he's about to show the people of Abbotsford how tough it is to leave our four-legged pooches locked in a cage.

Hodges, a 15-year-old W.J. Mouat student, will put himself inside a dog cage for 10 hours today to help show the community how committed he is to man's best friend and raising funds for the local chapter of the B.C. SPCA.

Still, Hodges admits he's a little nervous.

"I'm worried about time and whether it's going to go slow or fast," he said.

That's also the kind of anxiety he said dogs feel while in a small, confined cage.

"I'm only in there for 10 hours, but some dogs are in cages for days and even weeks so I'll only experience half of what dogs feel," said Hodges.

His mother, Petra Niemeyer, will be on hand to supervise his safety. She said she is very proud of her son.

"We live in a time where teenagers are often viewed as being 'trouble makers,' Clayton demonstrates that all eggs do not belong in the same basket," she wrote in an e-mail.

Hodges has raised more than $20,000 in donations over the past two years. He also hopes to raise funds at this year's Paws for a Cause walk at Mill Lake Park on Sunday beginning at 9 a.m. The SPCA's goal is to raise $24,000. Visit www.spca.bc.ca for information.