Activity Report – December 2019

With the end of 2019, 4,200 dogs have been sterilized and brought back to their habitat. The project funding for 2020 has been endorsed.

My work at the shelter is now by and large routine. In the morning, I clean the outer areas and the dog house. Drug delivery and feeding comes next - and bathing if necessary. Late afternoon, I return to the shelter for another round of cleaning and drug delivery.

Since Wat Amparahm is 40 km away from Takhiantia shelter, I can only see the dogs there every couple of days to feed them with dry food. They are being fed by a woman I employ with rice food daily. Whereas shelter life is not always easy for each and every dog, the dogs at Wat Amparahm - which is situated close to the beach - enjoy a life without fences, and are still being properly looked after.

Activity Report – November 2019
Our sterilization project entered the 16th month of operation and surpassed the monthly target of 100 sterilizations by 93 cases. The number of dogs sterilized and brought back to their habitat reached 4,147 at the end of the month.

Blood, liver and kidney tests have been conducted of almost all shelter dogs—including the new pups—during the last couple of months. Standard values haven't been found on any of them. Anemia is very common and blood parasites have been detected on a few of them. A treatment of Doxycycline combined with a blood support medication was necessary for most of the dogs, and still is for some of them. Liver and kidney problems are rather rare. Blood parasites are caused by tick bites. Tick infestation can only be controlled by administration of Bravecto which is effective for about three months.

Activity Report – October 2019

Our sterilization project entered the 15th month of operation and surpassed the monthly target of 100 sterilizations by 229 cases. The number of dogs sterilized and brought back to their habitat reached 3,952 at the end of the month.

I decided not to take anymore dogs into the shelter. The recent ten puppies have been the last ones. One of them has been adopted and is already with his new parents in Canada. Six of them are living in the shelter and are well integrated; the three others are currently with my volunteer Pat who found them motherless.

I had to give up my ideal of letting all the dogs roam free within the entire shelter all of the time. Too many bitings occurred, and I was therefore forced to separate the dogs into two groups when I'm not at the shelter. One group is occupying the house area and the other group the sala areas. But as long as I'm with the dogs, they are still free to stay wherever they want to. Since I'm with the dogs for at least six hours per day, a kind of pack rivalry will not crop up. Some of the dogs are also switching from one group to the other.

Activity Report – September 2019

Our sterilization project entered the 14th month of operation and surpassed the monthly target of 100 sterilizations by 137 cases. The number of dogs sterilized and brought back to their habitat reached 3,603 at the end of the month.

I lost another two dogs. One by a snakebite and the other one died on the operation table while being castrated. Three shelter dogs and one street dog living near my apartment have been castrated.

I still look after 28 dogs that are living in or at Wat Amparahm. Twenty of them are being fed by a market woman whom I provide with 75 kg rice and pay for her service. The other eight dogs are staying mainly on the temple market and are being fed by the market people. All 28 dogs are in good condition.

I also provide 60 kg dry food and 120 kg rice to a Thai feeder who looks after 60 dogs at Mabprachan Reservoir. Another feeder gets 40 kg dry food for dogs at Thepprasit Road. Just to feed all the dogs I feel responsible for, I have to spend 25,000 Baht every month.

Activity Report – August 2019

Our sterilization project entered the 13th month of operation and surpassed the monthly target of 100 sterilizations by 272 cases. The number of dogs sterilized and brought back to their habitat reached 3,366 at the end of the month.

On the first day of this month, I lost another dog caused by a snake bite. This time I saw the snake and had to kill it since a couple of dogs tried to attack it.

I took eight two-month old puppies in. Two of them lost their mother and the other six could no longer stay in a village where they were born.

The papilloma treatment on four dogs was finally successful. The Echinacea tablets strengthened their immune system and the lip warts regressed completely.

Activity Report – July 2019

Our sterilization project entered the 12th month of operation and surpassed the monthly target of 100 sterilizations by 283 cases. The number of dogs sterilized and brought back to their habitat reached 2,994 at the end of the month.

Unfortunately, I had to experience the loss of four more dogs. Scottie, a dog from Wat Amparahm, succumbed to leptospirosis and subsequent kidney failure; Norbu, Selina and Nura were killed by snakes.

I took Ruby and Tashi in. Ruby was one of Meow's dogs that suffered from an inflammation of the salivary gland. She has been treated and recovered fully. Tashi was dumped by an owner in front of a restaurant. The restaurant owner asked me to take Tashi in. He was already the third dog which was dumped at the restaurant. The other two were Tara and Beppe which I also took in.

Several dogs developed papillomas. I was treating them with Echinacea purpurea. The affected dogs responded to the drug very well.

Activity Report – June 2019

Our sterilization project entered the eleventh month of operation and surpassed the monthly target of 100 sterilizations by 258 cases. The number of dogs sterilized and brought back to their habitat reached 2,611 at the end of the month.

The construction of the shelter has been completed. Necessary equipment has been installed. The gates between the areas are being kept open allowing the dogs to run freely across the whole shelter area. However, most of the dogs prefer to stay in or at the house; a few stay on the big Sala, and another few in the small area.

Unfortunately, I had to experience the loss of three more dogs. Uma, the second pup I took in, succumbed to distemper; Big Boy was bitten by a venomous snake; and Kito died probably as a result of his distemper history.

I took Jojo in. He was dumped at Wat Amparahm and suffers from blood parasites. However, he is on his way to recovery. Zaza, the sibling of Pia and Uma (who died from distemper), survived and is developing.

I also had to take in Scottie. He had been living at Wat Amparahm for several years and lost weight recently. A test revealed a dangerous creatinine level. He is now getting fluid twice per day.

I tested the blood of twelve dogs. Only one of them was without pathological findings; most had blood parasites. I'm treating the dogs mainly with doxycycline and blood support.

I took Trisha, Sadhu and Piak to Silverlake clinic for castration. I'm feeding Trisha at my apartment; Sadhu and Piak are from Wat Amparahm.

Activity Report – May 2019

Our sterilization project entered the tenth month of operation and surpassed the monthly target of 100 sterilizations by 157 cases. The number of dogs sterilized and brought back to their habitat reached 2,253 at the end of the month.

The construction work for building a treatment room, a storeroom, a bathroom for the dogs, and several kennels is progressing.

This month I lost several dogs. Mom died a natural death. Joe, Aya and Nom died of kidney failure. Felix was bitten by several dogs. Biaow disappeared from the shelter. Pia, one of the three pups I recently took in, succumbed to distemper.

The dogs at Wat Amparahm are alive and well.

Activity Report – April 2019 
Our sterilization project entered the ninth month of operation and surpassed the monthly target of 100 sterilizations by 95 cases. The number of dogs sterilized and brought back to their habitat reached 1,995 at the end of the month.

The building of the shelter fence is complete and a treatment room, a storeroom and a bathroom for the dogs are being built together with three spacious kennels. Seven smaller Salas and a large one have been set up into four sections of the shelter. I'm now at the shelter for several hours on a daily basis observing the completion of the interior and looking after 65 dogs I'm keeping there. Twice a week, I'm still looking after 27 dogs at Wat Amparahm in Baan Amphur.

Activity Report – March 2019
Our sterilization project entered the eighth month of operation and surpassed the monthly target of 100 sterilizations by 192 cases. The number of dogs sterilized and brought back to their habitat reached 1,800 at the end of the month.

After all “my” dogs have now been relocated to Takhiantia Shelter, I am going to see them there every day. The shelter grounds—an area of about 10,000 sqm—is huge and has to be thoroughly cleaned from garbage and feces of 200 dogs.

At the end of the month, Meow and I decided to separate our dogs. Meow assigned me a 1,750 sqm piece of land where the solid dog house was built on. Currently, a metal sheet fence is being built to keep Meow’s dogs apart from mine.

Activity Report – February 2019

Our sterilization project entered the seventh month of operation and surpassed the monthly target of 100 sterilizations by 132 cases. The number of dogs sterilized and brought back to their habitat reached 1,508 at the end of the month.

I took in Kenzo, who is Kito's brother.  Kenzo is very frail and would probably not have survived at his place.  As I was made aware later, that place is parvo virus contaminated. Three pups from that place succumbed to the virus. I also took in Kyra to treat her for blood parasites. Joe, the dog whose tail had been cut off with a machete and who fully recovered from the injury, suffered a seizure. That, however, was probably an isolated incident.

At the end of the month, I vacated House Nongkraborg and moved into an apartment closer to Takhientia shelter.  I moved all my dogs into the shelter, except for the ones I'm looking after at Wat Amparahm. The main reason for change of residence is to support Meow on a daily basis running the shelter.

Activity Report – January 2019

Our sterilization project entered the sixth month of operation and surpassed the monthly target of 100 sterilizations by 176 cases. The number of dogs sterilized and brought back to their habitat reached 1,276 at the end of the month.  After a Soi Dog Foundation (SDF) team inspected the project on the ground, funds to cover the costs for a further 1,000 sterilizations were granted.  Another evaluation will take place in June. As a precondition to grant funds beyond June, a survey has to be carried out to determine the number of strays living in Pattaya.

Since some dogs were jumping over or breaking through the makeshift fences of the Takhientia shelter, I had to take Lena, Elly, and Bonnie—the notorious ones—into my house.  I also had to take in Nimnim, Kylie, Asa, Lahn, and Anna.  Nimnim is suffering from blood parasites; Kylie and Asa are suffering from a combination of a bacterial and fungal skin infection.  Lahn was hit by a car and broke her left hind leg.  She had to undergo surgery.  Anna is suffering from epilepsy and needs special care.

I also took in Kito. I found this four month old pup in a very bad condition on a waste ground, where a bunch of dogs are living and being looked after by a friendly Thai person.  Kito is a distemper survivor and is suffering from neurological impairments and brain damage. Joe’s tail wound has now finally been healed. The dogs at Wat Amparahm are fine; I even found a sponsor for Prince.