A Win for Dog Lovers and Activists in Thailand

By Julia Szabo for Dogster Magazine

At the end of July, fans of the Animal Activists Alliance Thailand were overjoyed to read the breaking news that more than 1,200 Thai dogs had been rescued from international dog meat smugglers. The animals had been intercepted in two separate raids as they were en route to their doom.

One convoy containing around 800 dogs was discovered late one night; those terrified canines had been kept in the jungle for several days without any food or water. They were very weak; many of them were wearing collars, indicating they had recently been pets.

The rescue was accomplished by the Royal Thai Police and the Royal Thai Navy Border Patrol, with support from members of Animal Activists Alliance Thailand. The smugglers were arrested in the Ban Phang district of Nakorn Phanom Province.

The only viable option for the rescue team was to transport the dogs to shelter facilities in Nakhom Phanom, but the province’s governor said there were no funds to feed and care for the dogs. To the rescue came Soi Dog Foundation, an international nonprofit that has committed to covering the immediate cost of the dogs’ care. The charity (Soi is Thai for “street,” as in “street dog”) teamed up with Animal Activists Alliance Thailand to supply 12 tons of dog food, as well as veterinary care.

The canine survivors are now safe from dog-meat smugglers and starvation, but there’s still the very real danger of distemper and parvovirus to contend with. So all 1,200 dogs must be vaccinated, each one requiring a course of three vaccines, to prevent outbreaks of these highly contagious diseases (which have, sadly, killed many other dogs rescued from smugglers in the past).

“The lives of these dogs are at immediate risk,” says John Dalley, Soi Dog’s executive director. “Unless they are vaccinated soon, disease epidemics will break out and most will perish. The ongoing cost of caring for the dogs will be over 500,000 Thai baht per month.”

The value of these dogs alone in the Vietnam restaurant trade is well over 3 million Thai baht, or $95,000. “The smugglers are losing a lot of money, but we need to raise a lot to be able to help these dogs and others who may well join them in coming weeks,” Dalley adds.

You can do your part to help these dogs and prevent the birth of thousands of unwanted animals through Soi Dog’s vital spay-neuter mission, by making donations or sponsoring animals through its site.

Is there hope of putting an end to the cruel trade in dog meat, which is happening even as you read this? Dalley says there is: “We can save the rescued dogs and stop the dog meat trade altogether. The sheer numbers of dogs that are going to need somewhere to go will bring matters to a head very soon, thereby prompting the government to take action to stop the trade at its source.”

Please tell your animal-loving friends to “Like” Soi Dog on Facebook, and watch YouTube videos of its excellent work.

About the Author: Julia Szabo is a writer for Dogster Magazine.

Read more: Animal Rights, Dogs, News & Issues, Pet Health, Pets, Safety

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

ann b.

8:05AM PDT on May 14, 2013

Thanks to police and navy for saving these poor dogs.

May 14
send a green star

Aud N.

7:35AM PDT on Apr 12, 2013

April 12
send a green star

Tanya W.

5:18AM PST on Jan 22, 2013

Those poor animals don't have a clue why they are treated like they are, where their family has gone or why they are not loved!!! Dogs just want to please and love us. These animals need your support and must have a better future than what we can see now!!!

January 22
send a green star

Ionete O.

1:35AM PST on Dec 10, 2012

Sooo glad! Thanks for saving them! Poor dogs!

December 10
send a green star

carol k.

11:20AM PST on Nov 15, 2012

it is unbelievable that these ruthless greedy blood thirsty monsters can not see the true value of a dogs soul! I hope they all choke on contaminated meat! and land in a pit!

November 15
send a green star

11:17AM PST on Nov 15, 2012

those who did this to these dogs are pathetic cavemen! bastards! I hope one day they eat a dog so sick with rabbies that they get that death sentence too! I hate dog slaughterers!

SHIREEN M.

1:43PM PST on Nov 13, 2012

THESE EVIL CRUEL WICKED SCUM OF THE EARTH PEOPLE WHO CAN CAPTURE & THEN TREAT THE POOR DOGS LIKE THIS NEED TO HAVE THE SAME TREATMENT INFLICTED ON THEM SO THAT THEY TOO CAN SUFFER IN THESE DEPLORABLE CONDITIONS.. THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH WORDS TO SAY ALL THAT I FEEL.... IT IS SO HORRIBLE.. DEAR GOD PLEASE LET THE DOGS BE SAVED & TREATED FOR THEIR WOUNDS & FIND LOVING HOMES

November 13
send a green star

Donna H.

12:30PM PDT on Oct 28, 2012

Wonderful rescue story. Thanks!

October 28
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Dresia V.

7:48AM PDT on Sep 13, 2012

Good news indeed it was. I was so pissed and wanted to jump in the picture so bad and shoot all those involved in the curelty of these innocent man's best friend little did they know, man is truly evil. As that song goes, "Smiling faces, sometimes, pretend to be your friend, smiling faces tell lies" and the back stabbers song, well that's what man is to animal and the song dogs have for humans is, "I will always love you" (by Whitney Houston) Grab those BASTARDS, put them in cages jammed packed, and take them one by one, and shave some skin off their bodies and let them see and feel the torture these animals went through. That's my judgement.

September 13
send a green star

Darla T.

10:55AM PDT on Sep 5, 2012

Awesome news! I'm so glad the dogs were rescued and that they have someone taking care of them. Let's hope they all find forever homes in which they are loved and appreciated.