Teachers Saving Strays

We are English teachers in Trang, Thailand. One day while exploring, we stumbled upon a known dumping ground for unwanted animals. At first, we just saw 4-5 stray dogs (a common sight in Thailand) lying in the road, as we slowly approached on our motorbikes, we suddenly saw a few more come out from the side of the road. We stopped and one by one about 15 puppies, kittens, and dogs came to greet us. They were very friendly but we were afraid to get too close because many had very little fur and some even had bloody spots and scabs. We noticed many more up by the Buddha statue that had not come down to the road. We estimate about 40 animals, most of which were only a few months old. We stood there in shock while feeling helpless. What do we do? These animals were clearly miserable as they could not stop scratching themselves… to the point of rubbed off fur and raw flesh. They all had mange (a parasite that causes severe itching) and visible fleas. Reluctantly, we decided there was nothing that could be done at the moment so we drove off with lumps in our throats and broken hearts. While we figured it was hopeless, we reached out to a stray rescue group that we had volunteered with in another city in Thailand. We were pleasantly surprised when they provided some advice that seemed within reach. They suggested we provide proper dog food along with coconut oil in their food and/or rubbed into their skin. This will help them become healthy enough to fight the mange. Then there is a weekly medication to treat the mange and powder or shampoo to treat the fleas. There is a man that cares for them but he does not have money for medical care. While this is not a long-term solution to these unwanted animals being dumped here, it will greatly improve their quality of life. Then, we found a local veterinary office that is willing to help, even going with us to evaluate each animal.

We are ready and willing to provide love and care and even get our hands a little dirty. But we do not make much money as teachers so we need monetary support. Things are relatively cheap in Thailand so we estimate that for only $1,300, we can rid all 40 of these animals of their parasites and feed them proper food for 3 months. Several teachers have committed to volunteering their time each week to provide the necessary care to these animals. This means that very penny raised on this page will go directly toward treatment and supplies. We will post pictures of their progress so you can see the difference your donation makes! And just maybe, if we get them healthy and happy, we could take this further and find them homes!