During my stay in Koh Phangan, Thailand, I had an unexpected encounter that changed both my life and the life of a dog named Koh. The day before I was set to leave for Indonesia, I was swimming in the ocean when I noticed a dog cruising along the beach. Suddenly, he saw me, ran into the water, and swam out as if he had been searching for me his whole life. We swam together and then returned to shore, where he stayed by my side, watching the sunset with me.

Later, I learned that Koh was an abandoned family dog. The resort where I was staying had street dogs who didn’t welcome him, so I invited him over, fed him, and he ended up staying with me that night. I posted in local Facebook groups, hoping to find his owners, but no one came forward. The next day, I delayed my trip, still searching for his family, but with no luck. I noticed Koh was having irritation from a recent neutering, and his wound was infected. I took him to several vets around town, walking kilometers together, but no one recognized him. With my departure looming, I arranged for him to stay at a wonderful dog hotel, where he was looked after for a month, received proper medical care, and got the medications he needed.

I went to Indonesia, but I cut my time there short and decided not to travel to Vietnam, Laos, or Cambodia. Instead, I came straight back to Koh Phangan to take care of Koh. That’s where I am now—our second night together since I returned. The dog hotel owner was phenomenal, treating Koh like family, and if he’s not ready to travel before my visa expires, he’ll need to stay there again, which is basically the owner’s daughter’s bedroom—full of love, but still not a permanent home. Now begins our journey to get him home. I’m staying as long as I can, up to two months due to visa laws, to make sure Koh is ready for his new life. There’s lots of love here, but we really could use some help to make this journey possible. Koh and I would greatly appreciate any support you can offer in getting him to America and giving him the second chance he deserves.