Freedom Flight For Thai Dog To Canada

Hand To Paw Temple Dogs 

I support Canine Rescue and I have helped Soi Dog Foundation in Phuket, Hand to Paw in Chiang Mai and Friends of Mexican Animal Welfare, whether by designing a new logo, raising funds, promoting Flight Volunteer Program, Sponsoring Street Dogs, and Adopting Street Dogs.  Dogs come completely vetted, fully vaccinated, spay or neutered, complete check up, medical/health certificate from a veterinarian and cleared to fly usually a week to two weeks before flight.

There is no cost for adoption, but there is a cost for cargo. We are grateful to have a flight volunteer available end of February/first of March and there is no cost to the FV. All flight arrangements are made by the rescue organization. The FV and dog just fly together. It cuts the cost of cargo in half in many cases for the dog's flight. Street dogs are not safe. This is a chance for me to help another Thai dog get to a safe and loving home.

BOON’S STORY

In January 2016, Boon (“To bring good fortune” – in Thai) and his twin brother were abandoned at a rural temple in Northern Thailand called Wat Suan Nawaa.

A local rescue called Hand to Paw https://www.facebook.com/handtopawTH
that’s primary goal is to help monks look after their temple dogs soon came into their lives. Wanting to re-home them at this early age, H2P was saddened to learn that the Head Abbott, elected to keep them – not a long term or safe alternative, but one that could not be negotiated at that time. Many street dogs are poisoned or brutally attacked by people.  Boon is one of 13 dogs that reside at this temple.

Under the care of Hand to Paw, Boon was well looked after. He was vaccinated, sterilized and his basic health needs looked after during their weekly visits and visits by the young student ‘Hand to Paw Club’ that is instrumental in socializing temple dogs – dogs love kids!

In 2019 Boon became sick with blood parasites – a common disease passed to dogs from ticks – an epidemic in Thailand. Although he appeared healthy and is treated with Bravecto regularly, he gradually began losing noticeable weight. Boon was immediately removed from the temple and placed in foster care – here he had his first glimpse at what it was like to be a family pet and receive the medical care he required - he thrived! After two months convalescence Boon was healed and returned to the temple. Adoption families are so very difficult to find in Thailand – there was no other choice.

Although Boon is a happy, carefree dog – the temple is still not or will be a safe place for any dog. Also, in 2019 Boon’s sibling was killed by a car – a tragic loss for all that knew him. Hand to Paw is now facing the expulsion of all 13 dogs from the temple they call home.

The Head Abbott has been reassigned to a new temple and unable to take his dogs with him. A new temple will be found for them that is nearby the Abbott, but this is not a good situation by any means. Hand to Paw is working actively to re-home as many of the adult dogs as possible – no easy task.

Stacie Riggs, a long-term follower and supporter of Hand to Paw and adoptive mama to a former Hand to Paw temple dog “Sua” – heard of the plight of Wat Suan Nawaa temple dogs and wants to bring Boon to  Canada! A plan is being put in place to bring Boon “home”. With your help – we can make this happen!

In Thailand temples are the refuge, of many street dogs. It is common for Thai people to dump their unwanted dogs at a temple, they reason that the monks will look after them. Although this is better than dumping them on the street many temples are overrun with unwanted dogs. The monks often don’t have the money, safe enclosures or the time to look after them, sterilisation is not seen as important so the problem just grows. It is not enough just to feed them, they need medication, flea, tick & birth control, this all cost money. The dogs also need permanent homes which is difficult to find in Thailand. 

They are born and raised on the streets, often in densely-populated urban hubs where widespread sterilization and vaccination are unheard of.

Walk the streets of New Delhi, Indonesia and every garbage dump teems with dogs. Meander through Malaysia’s capital city of Kuala Lumpur and see them lying in street gutters, so weak from hunger they cannot move or paralysed from being hit by a car, or peruse pictures of thousands of pathetic pups rescued from the Southeast Asian dog meat markets. And soon you will realize that street dogs around the world are up against some pretty serious odds.

Just making it through the first few weeks of life is a small miracle. Those who do survive often suffer greatly, and die young. The dogs we have given our hearts to are the forgotten, the underrepresented, and the unluckiest of all dogs of the world.

Were the streets of our local cities overrun with hundreds of thousands of these poor souls, as in other nations, we would focus our efforts here at home. But the reality is that the United States and Canada are two of the few nations around the globe that are in good shape when it comes to street dog populations.

We support dog rescue globally and locally. We are all in this together.