I purchased this to use to bathe our 2 dogs. Both dogs enjoy this as it's not overwhelming in size and they can get in by themselves and be bathed and actually lay down to cool off. (We have also used this as a pool for our 18 month old granddaughter.) The plastic used feels more like a rubber and the sides are very sturdy. This is easy to drain by flipping over or by using the screw on drain. This is very versatile in the uses you could use it for. I was very glad to use it with my dogs though because they are scared of bathtubs because of the size and this was perfect for them.