Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com
Living in the United States, one hears about the horrors and neglect of abused dogs on a daily basis. However, in places like Thailand, the abuse is so much more. Hundreds of dogs and cats are abused, abandoned or left for dead in the streets. Others, become part of the dog meat trade.
The Soi Dog Foundation
The Soi Dog Foundation was founded in 2003 by a trio of animal rescue activists, Margot Homburg Park and John and Gill Dalley. Jon and Gill had relocated to Phuket and decided to dedicate their lives to rescuing these animals. Their foundation became the first organization of its kind to be certified as a foundation in Thailand.
What They Do
In Thailand, there aren't as many facilities available to help their animals. The veterinarians volunteer their time. They can't perform surgeries there, just give basic care. In addition to the basic care, that's given to these animals, there have been huge strides to spay and neuter them to control the overcrowded pet population. Since the beginning, over 100,000 dogs, averaging about 1,800 a month.
In 2011, they started an initiative to help end the dog meat trade. Many dogs from Thailand are exported to Vietnam to be eaten. It's illegal and the foundation has worked to bring awareness to this by naming it the Trade of Shame. In addition to its Trade of Shame campaign, the organization teaches students in school to become more understanding and tolerant towards dogs. Today, the Soi Dog Foundation is the largest animal rescue foundation in Asia, having over 50 full-time employees and a huge goal of opening a veterinary hospital in Asia.
How You Can Help
There are many ways you can help this foundation. They have a dog sponsor program where one can sponsor a dog or cat for $26USD a month. Another way to help is through adoption. Many of their dogs, mostly adult are shipped to places such as North America and Europe to loving homes. If you find yourself vacationing in Thailand, one of the best ways to help the animals is not to take them into the comfort of your hotel room. Many tourists will do so thinking they're helping and it gives the animal hope they'll have a loving home. When they return to a new tourist who turns them away, they at risk for getting clubbed to death.
Finally, 100% Pure has a special offer going on right now. You can purchase special products from their website and 100% of the profits will go to the Soi Dog Foundation. I picked up their Soi Dog Mangosteen bath package and it's a great feeling to know that even though it was a little costly, the end result is more well worth it. If you'd like to learn more about this please visit 100percentpure.com.
*Note: No payment was offered by 100% pure. I am endorsing them purely for their Soi Dog Program.
To learn more about the Soi Dog Foundation, you can find them at soidog.org.
Let's Discuss!
Are you familiar with Soi Dog Foundation? What animal rescue organization has changed your life?
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