Care for Dogs

Care for dogs is a non profit organisation set up to tackle the growing problem of homeless dogs in Chiang Mai. The shelter is situated 10 mins drive from Chiang Mai night safari and is home to around 100 dogs & puppies. The shelters main aim is to sterilise as many street & temple dogs as possible, thus reducing the number of unwanted puppies and dogs wandering the streets. They also rescue abandoned & mistreated dogs, re home puppies and help look after many dogs at various temples around town.

There are three paid Thai workers, the rest are long term volunteers that have dedicated themselves to helping so understandably the shelter is always looking for animal lovers that are willing to lend a hand and volunteer for a few days (or weeks!). Volunteers help with the many aspects of looking after so many dogs; there is bathing, walking, health checks and of course plenty of playing with the puppies & dogs to be done!

We decided to volunteer for a few days before heading on, we ended up falling in love with the place and stayed 5 weeks. The staff are wonderful, the work they do is amazing. Some of the dogs come into the shelter in very bad conditions, often hit by cars after wandering into the road. Mange is another common problem, causing awful skin problems but is highly treatable, seeing the change in the dogs is amazing and so rewarding to be a part of. Every dog at the shelter has a story to tell, like Kazim who came into the shelter suffering from TVT, a highly contagious STD. He is now blind in both eyes but has recovered from TVT (the only cancer that is 100% treatable) and now spends his days chasing frogs at the shelter.

We have loved every second we have spent at the shelter and if the quarantine laws in England were less stringent we would of adopted several dogs without hesitation. Spending so much time with the dogs has allowed us to see their personalities shine through, and gain the friendship of a few shy members. It will be a very difficult day when we have to move on.