Activity Report – December 2020

99 more dogs have been sterilized and were taken back to their living places. The total number of sterilized dogs now stands at 6,499.

I took Navo in, a tiny, six weeks old puppy whose mother was killed in a car accident. His brother is currently in quarantine and will be taken in as well when a parvo or distemper infection can be ruled out.

The last month of the year passed without major issue. Most dogs are content living in their areas and are getting along with their companions well.

Activity Report – November 2020

Two hundred more dogs have been sterilized and were taken back to their living places. The total number of sterilized dogs now stands at 6,400.

After already taking in nine puppies last month, I had to take in six more puppies this month. They were doomed to die under the basement of a park house after the management sealed the access. The pups are traumatized and are needing time to gain trust. However, they are all getting along very well with the adult dogs in a shelter area where I accommodate them.   Since I had to take in so many pups recently, although short of funds, I was forced to divide the last large shelter area into three sections to have more options to reallocate dogs, if necessary.

Amara, after enduring a several months long treatment, finally gave up. She died in my car on the way to the clinic.

Activity Report – October 2020 

Two hundred more dogs have been sterilized and were taken back to their living places. The total number of sterilized dogs now stands at 6,200.

Someone dumped four puppies - about five weeks old - on the access soi to my shelter. I took them in and put them in quarantine. They did not show any symptoms of parvo or distemper after one week. Since then, they are integrating into the house area dogs. Two weeks later, one of my volunteers had to rescue a lactating dog and her five three-week old puppies. I took them in as well. After a couple of days, mother and pups blended into the house area dogs without any trouble.

Rocco was bitten by a centipede, probably a large one. I later found a 30 cm long species. Rocco suffered from a nasty swelling and three deep bites. It took the whole month to close the wounds. Nico, one of my temple dogs who lived at Wat Amparahm for more than eight years, died all of a sudden, probably from acute kidney failure caused by leptospirosis. Amara is still receiving fluid on a daily basis since her creatinine level is continuously high; also, she is losing weight.

Activity Report – September 2020 

Two hundred more dogs have been sterilized and were taken back to their living places. The total number of sterilized dogs now stands at 6,000.

Leo, the street dog with a quadruple hip fracture has now fully recovered. He completed a Doxycycline/Ferric treatment and his blood test results showed normal levels. Mona, the other street dog I took in last month, is responding well to the wound treatment. Since the wound was very deep and in an area difficult to heal, it will probably take another month to get her fully recovered. Amara's second PCR test revealed that the leptospirosis bacteria have been flushed out. She is still receiving fluid on a daily basis since her creatinine level is continuously high. But she can now stay with the other dogs since not being contagious anymore. Cisco, a street dog that I treated for blood parasites and skin problems got hit by a car and his life could not be saved despite emergency surgery. Cisco died from ruptured vital organs. 

My recent intakes Leo, Coco and Lilly, have been sterilized. All three recovered well. The dogs at Wat Amparahm are doing well. They are getting rice food daily and dry food every four or five days. They can stay at the temple premises or enjoy life on the beach.

Activity Report – August 2020
Two hundred more dogs have been sterilized and were taken back to their living places. The total number of sterilized dogs now stands at 5,800.

Kobie, the lost dog I picked up last month, has been reunited with his owner. The owner was searching for Kobie and found out that he is staying in my shelter. Leo, the dog with the broken hip, responded well to his treatment. He is getting along very well with the dogs he stays with.

I took in Mona, a bitch that had been sterilized but is suffering from a bad bite wound. Mona does not need to stay in a clinic but has to be treated daily. Mona, as well, fitted in quite nicely in one of the rear shelter areas. Amara is still on long term treatment. A PCR test revealed a leptospirosis infection. Her creatinine level went up critically but is now under control. Amara receives fluid daily.

I lost a dog, Asa, at Wat Amparahm. Asa was living there peacefully and without any incident for several years. She just didn't show up when I routinely visited the dogs. I vaccinated all shelter dogs and the dogs at Wat Amparahm. I am especially concerned about leptospirosis infections. Over the years I had several now, both inside the shelter and at Wat Amparahm. I regularly monitor several dogs on the streets. Two males among them have now been sterilized.

Activity Report – July 2020

Two hundred more dogs have been sterilized and were taken back to their living places. The total number of sterilized dogs now stands at 5,600.

 

I took two new dogs in. The first one was either dumped or ran away. He is in very good condition and wore a collar when I picked him up. The second one is a street dog that is suffering from a broken hip. Both dogs were fitting in well. The accident dog is being treated conservatively and is making progress.

 

Two of my shelter dogs who stayed with me for more than two years have been adopted. They are now living in a luxury house with a big garden and adapted very well.

 

Unfortunately, I lost a dog that was with me for more than five years. Lina suffered from a lung emphysema and died after short treatment in a clinic.Tinka, Aki and Aldo, my now seven month old pups, have been sterilized. They were recovering from the surgery very well.

 

Two of my white coated shelter dogs are suffering from persistent dermatitis. I am treating them now with a mixture of sulfur and coconut oil after any other treatment failed. Both dogs are showing signs of improvement. Lingling is suffering from blood parasites and had to start a six week long treatment with Doxycycline and blood support. Amara's test result shows an elevated creatinine level. She has to undergo lengthy fluid therapy.

Activity Report – June 2020

Two hundred more dogs have been sterilized and were taken back to their living places. The total number of sterilized dogs now stands at 5,400.

I created a new smaller area by partitioning one of the spacious rear areas. That area was supposed to accommodate Leyla who had been with me for a couple of months. Leyla came to me in bad condition and never really recovered. She finally gave up and died being treated at a clinic. Now I use that additional area to separate dogs if necessary. Currently, however, this new area is connected to two other areas which can be used together or separately.

I had to take in two dogs from Wat Amparahm market. They are mother and daughter. The mother got sick and a blood test revealed blood parasites. The test result of her daughter didn't look too bad, but both dogs have to be treated twice a day. The dog with the fungal infection is in stable condition and back to his place.

I regularly routine-test dogs for anemia or blood parasites. Only a very few show normal results; some suffer from blood parasites without showing significant symptoms. Although the shelter is almost tick-free, I wonder how many strays might suffer from blood parasites dying an early death. One of my dogs suffered from a slightly elevated creatinine level. She has been treated with fluid. Two puppies are suffering from  papilomas. They are being treated with Immuplex. The last two pups I took in are now fully vaccinated.

Activity Report – May 2020
200 more dogs have been sterilized and were taken back to their living places. The total number of sterilized dogs now stands at 5,200.

The separation of the dogs is now pretty much established. Occasionally, a dog may need to be shifted to another group, but most of the dogs are getting along well with each other. I'm trying to keep the numbers stable. Dogs which I have to take in since they have to be treated daily or even twice a day have to go back to their places when the treatment is complete.

Right now I accommodate two of those cases. One is suffering from a fungal infection and the other one from blood parasites. The chemotherapy of both TVT dogs has been successfully completed, and they are back to their places.

Activity Report – April 2020 

200 more dogs have been sterilized and were taken back to their living places. The total number of sterilized dogs now stands at 5,000.

Since Pattaya had been locked down for the better part of the month, I couldn't enter the city anymore. That, however, had only a minor impact on my daily working routine at the shelter. I stored enough dry food and rice to cover the whole month before the supply chain had been disrupted. Both clinics whose services I regularly use are located in Banglamung district where I also have my shelter. The care of the temple dogs was not disturbed either, as the temple is located outside the restricted area as well.

Besides the shelter dogs and the temple dogs I now have to look after a couple of dogs on the streets. I noticed them on my way to the shelter. Two of them developed TVT, and two other ones have to be treated for severe skin problems. I had to take one of the latter dogs into the shelter since he disappeared off and on. The other three remain at their usual places. The TVT dogs have to be taken for chemo therapy treatment every ten days. The other two dogs get medicated twice a day.

I also took in two six-week old puppies. I found them in an abandoned house on the beach together with her mother. Since the mother disappeared for a couple of days, I took the puppies in. They are both healthy and thriving, and already well integrated into the bunch of dogs in the house area of the shelter.

Activity Report – March 2020
200 more dogs have been sterilized and were taken back to their living places. The total number of sterilized dogs now stands at 4,800.

The new partitioning of the shelter proved successful. Over the course of the month, I changed some dogs back and forth and now I have five stable groups in seven enclosures. Some connecting enclosure gates are open when I'm at the shelter; some enclosures are strictly separated from other enclosures. The dogs have accepted those spatial separations. They still have enough space to roam around, and don't need to fight for their preferred places or against dogs they don't like.

 

Due to the separation of the dogs, biting has become rare. The treatment costs have thus been reduced. Smaller scuffles are unavoidable; after all, I am dealing with dogs that had to learn standing their ground for most—if not all—of their lives.

 

The dogs are now being fed daily at noon. Twice a week they are getting rice food, and on the other days dry food. The puppies and some other dogs are getting specially prepared rice food every day.

Since  I'm now assisted by a volunteer who is in charge of the daily feeding, my workload is a bit less than normal. That's good for my physical and mental health.

Activity Report – February 2020

200 more dogs have been sterilized and were taken back to their living places. The total number of sterilized dogs now stands at 4,600.

By the new partitioning of the shelter, two more pens have been created. The newly created enclosures are connected by doors and can be used flexibly. That makes combination or separation of dogs more easily possible.

A volunteer is now preparing rice food once or twice a week. The dogs are loving the addition to the menu and it supports their digestive functions as well.

The last three pups I took in are already perfectly integrated. They have been fully vaccinated, and are growing and thriving.

All dogs at Wat Amparahm are also fine. They are having a good life at the temple on the beach.

Activity Report – January 2020

Soi Dog Foundation is going to fund 200 sterilizations per month in the Pattaya area for 2020. At the end of this month, 200 dogs had been sterilized and were taken back to their living places.

I had to take in three approximately 6-week-old puppies that had been dumped at a waste ground near the shelter where I monitor a couple of dogs. I put them in quarantine for a week, and fortunately it turned out they are virus-free. They now live together with the adult dogs and are thriving.

I detected another less dangerous virus—the papilloma virus—with several of my older puppies. I successfully treated the infection with Immuplex—an Echinacea extract.

All nine now 8-month-old pups that I took in six months ago are now sterilized. The wound healing process had been without incident.

I decided to create a couple of more pens inside the shelter to be more flexible separating dogs if necessary. The construction work started at the end of the month.