Best Bark About Thailand: Canine Kline’s at discounted prices!

Worst bark about Thailand: No Parks to Poop in!

There are a number of key organizations scattered through the main centers of Thailand and I was lucky to visit the main 3. My venture started at SCAD in Bangkok – headed up by a South African Doc, Annelize Booysen, who simply states, ‘Its good to be a dog at SCAD’ - and, she’s spot on! The 20 dogs that are in their car are the lucky ones. Depending on who you ask, there are anywhere between 100 000 and 300 000 stray dogs in Bangkok alone and with no animal welfare laws in the country, stray dogs that aren’t licensed or micro chipped in Bangkok are rounded up and sent to government run shelters like the one half an hour from SCAD: Pravet Shelter. Here, all the dogs are sterilized and then sent to a massive concrete ‘compound’ 2 hours north of Bangkok where 4000 dogs will literally spend the rest of their lives barking at each other within large cages that can keep up to 200 dogs at any given time. (Visiting Pravet was a tough emotional drain – the dogs here would make magnificent pets. Instead, they cringe inside here, hiding in each corner, anorexic and afraid – all because Thai’s, in general, still (like every other country I have visited) still prefer to buy little cute designer dogs from the pet stores outside!) It is a sad reality beyond possible belief. That’s why – just because you don’t see stray dogs on the streets doesn’t mean that there isn’t a massive problem in the area – in my very own opinion (and remember, the Oscar is always right), it would be much better for these dogs to be sterilized and living on the streets than stuck in hell holes like PRAVET as you can see by the images (which were not allowed to be snapped – except by my paws, under canine covers, of course!) Anyway, back to SCAD. They sterilize around 140 dogs a month and maintain a comprehensive management approach in welfare management. For my visit, SCAD had arranged a fun day of games, mutt awards as well as guess where the Oscar has traveled. It was great fun, except I wasn’t allowed to enter any of the competitions which dare I yap, I would have WON! The highlight was definitely being patted by former Miss Universe, Natalie Glebova. She and her husband, Thailand’s #1 tennis player Paradorn Srichaphan are both big supporters of SCAD with their catch phrase ‘Its Cuter To Neuter’ coming form the most appropriate couple.

From SCAD I headed down to meet Gill and John Dalley who head up the Soi Dog Foundation in Phuket. Boy, do they do an awesome job. If you don’t believe me, just ask the dogs what life was like 6 years ago before the British pair formally got Soi Dog into super charge gear. What John and Gill have achieved to date is nothing short of a mutt miracle – having headed up almost 20 000 sterilizations on dogs since 2003 – and that doesn’t include all the vaccinations and other care that are given to the soi dogs of Phuket in the process (Take a peek at their website for all the ‘before’ and ‘afters’!) Soi Dog Foundation are in the process of buying new land on which to set up a first class canine operation so with money on their wish list (and a few more adoptions of their Soi dogs) I joined them for their fundraiser at the Phuket Marina. Enter Garry (A pending Biggest Loser contestant ASIA – and a laugh a minute to wag the very least!) who’s gab a minute and chunk size humor was instrumental in raising $5000 for my Oscar! A big thanks to Chandra who, with the help of her parent’s woofing wonderful wallets, managed to secure the softer side of me to cuddle when I’m long gone from the Gulf of Thailand.

From the pleasures of Phuket, to the east I went. The Dog and Cat Rescue is on another Thai Island called Samui – infamous for its sun-drenched beaches, stray dogs are never the flavor of the month around here. 10 years ago the island was brimming with puppies and the streets were literally littered with strays. Locals would poison the dogs (Despite the fact that the prevailing Buddhist religion in Thailand not allows for euthanasia, poisoning of these dogs happened (and still does – but on a lot smaller scale thanks to Dog Rescue) The poison used is strychnine, which causes an extremely painful death) Today, it’s a notably different situation and its all because of Werner and Brigitte. The German couple that have been married for 34 years never in their woofing dreams imagined that they would end up looking after over 50 dogs in their house – nor did they ever imagine establishing what it the only shelter on the island. Their organization sterilizes 6 dogs a day; 1500 each year, and they employ 18 full time staff members. But feeling I was licking my religion, I decided to join volunteers Jay and Linda on their Temple run– a project they themselves set up within Dog rescue where they visit 18 of the 23 temples on the island twice a week. Food and medical care is given to the monks’ dogs – dogs that they have usually acquired through the local community who often dump their unwanted pets/litters at the temple entrance in the assumption that the monks will care for them. This dynamic duo all this for no moolah – they do this with open arms for the sole purpose of peace of mind of knowing that these dogs are now in better care as a direct result of their contribution. As Jay admits, ‘ I don’t eat, I don’t sleep, I don’t drink! And if I just keep working, I don’t have time to shop. I’ll keep doing this service until my money runs out’ As Werner adds, ‘We pay to work’. One day you will all be rewarded in doggie heaven. This, I nose…

A really big bark of thanks to ROGZ for all their gear for the under dogs as well as UPS for shipping it directly to their front kennel! To SCAD, Soi Dog and Dog Rescue for setting up your organizations when no one else did anything for decades of doggie devastation– what a difference you have all made! Where, I fear to wonder, would my relatives be without your AMAZING work? On behalf of all of them all, thank you. Garry- thanks for the wag a minute and for adding your yaps at the auction – and a bigger bite of thanks for keeping your star studded undies on when you made a big splash at the end. Dearest, big barking blessings to my cameraman for putting up with all my howling madness when the moon was full and, then, AGAIN, to Chinda from Dynamic Air Cargo who was a real top dog for sorting out all my pooch paperwork - specifically with regards to all the import and exporting of yours truly in and out of Thailand – a feat I did on 3 occasions. Where would I have been transported without YOU?

An extra note of gratitude to ‘Nam’, the Thai dog at the Seaside Cottages where I took a fitness kick for 10 days in Samui. Since landing paw in Asia, not one stray dog has been sweet to me. They can see I’m a spoilt brat from Africa I think – I got a nip for being ‘it’ in Varanasi, and another in Phuket – both on the hind chops but nothing that a small yelp didn’t fix quickly! Then, to find a taxi and hotel who will welcome an Oscar is a challenge in itself; but to find the latter with a dog in the same territory who can sniff a good thing – another miracle mission completely. So, to Nam, for embracing me, chasing me, biting my ear and tail in the most playfully gracious kinda way under the hammock, thank you. You’re intelliegent, intuitive and intertaining; In fact, you’re ’IN! ’You’re a smart, sharp woofer, just like me and all the other Thai dogs that are lost, homeless or found.. Now don’t go forgetting how to destroy falling coconuts, chase soccer balls, swim towards the horizon and most of all, chew slowly-grilled free range chicken with a knife and paw too quickly. I hope to see you again next year when I need fresh air to write my book about my travels. Hey Nam, I know you scratch the hind legs off a palm tree, but can you edit?

You know, every dog has its thanks, but to the real ‘dog’ driver who threatened my life in the mini bus (for which I had paid) jumping onboard to get to the ferry, hey, your earing didn’t suite your ear hair extensions, so there! Seriously, for making my entire day touch and go and one pooh panic of note because you kicked me out of your minivan (Because I may just swallow the air con cables-) when I had no money left after paying you, may you howl for heaven one day and have a mean minivan driver at the pearly gates! With $4 in paw, I sat on the ferry wondering how the helling hound I was now going to get from the next port to the overnight train now that I had been dumped. Enter Mr and his truck with 5 family members in toe. I found him parked in his car at the dungeons of the ferry. OK, I was desperate; I need wheels, and I couldn’t pay for them! Expecting a back-leash, a bright smile arrived from the window; better yet, a “YES JUMP IN’ and with that, I was cruising down a Thai freeway and a few minutes to spare just to make the train. All I can bark is THANK YOU to Mr Yutthana Priyajana – with nothing in my wallet, (and even if I had) you have no idea how you helped me out today!!!! You have no idea how much I appreciate your kindness, without asking for anything, NOTHING –absolutely zippo nunna - in return. With your beautiful open face and a wide angled smile, all you said was ‘YES’ - the sweetest sound I’d heard since breakfast! You restore my hope in human creatures and if I ever come back as a humeo sapien in my next life, I want to be just like you Mr . You and your truck are terrific. Thank Thank Thank YOU two…