March saw a lot of new arrivals and we’d like to share some inspiring updates with you!
Pickles, the abandoned Staffordshire Bull Terrier, found the perfect new home right here in Hua Hin! Ellis the cat stole the heart of one of our veterinary volunteers and has already landed safely to his new home in Arizona! Two of the abandoned pups Hazel and Walnut have already been reserved for adoption. We are so happy for such a quick turnaround from the streets to loving forever homes. Walter and Betty, the other two dogs abandoned last month, are still at Rescue P.A.W.S. and they have become inseparable; with similar looks and size, they could even be brother and sister.
Pickles
Walter & Betty are BFFs
Ellis enjoying the catio in his new home
Mina, the paralyzed dog, is slowly gaining weight and strength. She has been able to join the Special Squad on the beach and is loving playing in the shallows and chasing coconuts. Paralyzed dogs are a lot of work, but they can have an amazing quality of life with the right care and enrichment. Fudge, Miss Honey Stubbs, and Mina are great examples of this. In order to improve Mina’s life even further, we would love to get her a wheelchair!
https://rescuepawsthailand.org/support-campaign/mina-needs-a-wheelchair
As always, the medical team has been incredibly busy. This month, in addition to sterilizations (304 of them!), the team has been very busy with amputations. Unfortunately, in April the team conducted five leg amputations due to road traffic accidents, and one eye removal. All patients are recovering well. One of the patients we just mentioned was Mia, our local 7/11 dog, who was struck by a motorbike, that quickly fled the scene. Unfortunately, her front leg was broken beyond repair and the only choice for us was amputation. Mina was already a staff favorite and now she will be staying at Rescue P.A.W.S. until we can find her a forever home. She is incredibly sweet and calm. Many people used to feed her and she is quite overweight, which, for a dog with three legs, is a problem. It puts a lot of pressure on the remaining legs so it is important that we bring her weight down to ensure she can enjoy an active, pain free life. She is currently on a diet and not the biggest fan of it, but it is good for her and we are making up for the lost calories with extra attention and belly rubs.
Third unlucky dog was Grace. Just like Mia, she is a sweet community dog, who has been overfed by people meaning well. We do not know for sure what happened to Grace, but we do know her injury is at least a few weeks old and necrotic. When we responded to a report and went to collect her, the damage on her hind leg was obvious, her toes were mostly gone and the tendons below were exposed. The poor girl must have been in so much pain. As with Mia the only option was amputation, but due to her size this was a risky operation. Luckily our skilled Dr. Cooky once again performed her magic and Grace is recovering well. She will stay with us until fully healed. Grace and Mia have been recovering from their surgeries together and have become very good friends and diet buddies.
Another patient was sweet little Miss Fox. She was reported to us after being hit by a car two weeks prior. Poor Miss Fox was in a lot of pain and her wounds were quite badly infected. Miss Fox was like a brand-new dog following her surgery, up by the next day with her tail wagging, happy that the pain was gone. Miss fox is still recovering with us at the moment and she will rejoin her pack and feeders once she is fully healed.
Little Chicken has some exciting news to share with you! He’s been adopted! A lovely volunteer from the USA fell in love with his sassy attitude and charm. He will be with us for a few months more while we wait for all of his paperwork to be ready for his big trip. In other big news for Chicken, he had his little chicken wing amputated as it was causing issues with his balance. He has recovered well and is much better with his balance and walking. From a tiny injured pup, Chicken has grown into a handsome young man. We are so happy we were able to give him a second chance at life.
A female cat called Nid, brought in for sterilization, was found to be breathing with an increased abnormal effort. Dr Cooky couldn’t hear Nid’s lung sounds and immediately suspected diaphragmatic hernia. We rushed her for an x-ray, which confirmed Cookys suspicions. Nid had a broken diaphragm and all her internal organs were trapped in her chest cavity making breathing almost impossible, and requiring emergency surgery. The procedure was very risky but it was also Nid’s only chance of long-term survival. The operation took over an hour and after lots of supportive care and a few stressful moments, Nid pulled through. For a tiny cat, Nid proved to be a strong little fighter. She stayed with us for a few days of recovery before returning home.
Diaphragmatic hernias are often caused by road traffic accidents and this is what we suspect had happened to Nid too. She is back to enjoying life with her lungs full of air again.
Just as we said goodbye to Bruce, we welcomed another sweet dog from the same refugee village. We named him Huya. Huya is suffering from an old, infected wound on his back and also is very underweight. He will be staying with us to gain more strength and weight and once he is in a better condition, we will sterilize him before returning him to his owners with a big food donation.
Hu Ya
The vet team did a huge vaccine and parasite treatment trip to two different private shelters that are struggling financially. Over the course of two days a total of 140 dogs were vaccinated against Rabies and treated for parasites. This support from Rescue P.A.W.S. is immensely important to prevent further suffering in sometimes overcrowded shelters. Parasites can cause lots of health issues to dogs and as always, prevention is better than a cure, especially in overcrowded shelters, where disease and illness can rapidly spread.
Parasite treatment at a local shelter
One of our packs recently had seven puppies dumped. This is common practice when the puppies are a little bit older and start requiring food in addition to the mother’s milk. After an initial health and safety check, we were able to successfully vaccinate and sterilize all seven pups. They are now under our in-field care program and part of our feeding run along with the rest of the pack!
Dumped puppies coming for sterilization
Holly, our Teaching coordinator, was invited to Bangkok to teach about animal welfare and responsible pet ownership. Over 80 children were taught and the day was a great success.
Holly also visited a local orphanage and taught about dog bite prevention to the 50 children who live there. Children are the most at-risk group for dog bites. Often the knowledge of what to do if bitten is lacking, so it is immensely important to teach children how to stay safe in the first place. Sadly, the majority of victims of Rabies are children under seven years of age.
The education team embarked on a journey to two remote villages to extend our outreach. Our mission included providing parasite treatments for the dogs in these communities. However, our visit encompassed much more than just medical assistance.
We recognized the importance of educating adults about responsible pet care practices. Unfortunately, we discovered that some individuals were resorting to harmful methods to control the population of stray dogs. Administering human contraceptives to female dogs or attempting to sterilize male dogs by tying rubber bands around their testicles is unfortunately common practice. We emphasized the detrimental effects of such practices on the health and well-being of the animals. It was crucial to convey the message that these methods not only cause pain but also lead to serious illnesses in the dogs. Through open dialogue and informative discussions, we provided guidance on humane and effective alternatives for managing the dog population and hope to encourage positive change within these communities and promote a culture of compassion towards animals
Temperatures have been nearing the unbearable over the last month. Most days the temperature rose to near 40 degrees. To provide us some relief, it was time for Songkran! Songkran is the celebration for Thai New Year and is characterized by wearing Hawaiian shirts, religious ceremonies, and the world’s largest water fight lasting for three consecutive days! Here at Rescue P.A.W.S. we tend to take Songkran seriously and every year our arsenal of water guns and water fight-related activities grows. This year, we visited the Burmese temple and organized a big party for the children. Volunteers took part in activities at our own temple and staff enjoyed a huge water fight in the city from the back of a Songtao (pickup truck).
We unfortunately we had to bid goodbye Amp, our veterinary assistant, who is leaving Rescue P.A.W.S. to live close to her family. Amp has been an integral part of Rescue P.A.W.S. and our growth over the past few years. Amp had a special interest in cats and could be found cuddling our cat patients whenever she had a spare moment. Her positive attitude and contagious laughter will be sorely missed by everyone at Rescue P.A.W.S. We wish her all the best in her new adventures.
Rather than one particular animal this month, we’d like to introduce you to a wonder drug that we use daily. As previously mentioned, parasites cause serious illness and discomfort for many animals in Thailand. Prevention is easy, but very costly, limiting our ability to treat all the animals with the best products. Luckily two of our veterinary volunteers in April came with a huge donation of Bravecto! Bravecto is the best product on the market at tick, flea and mite protection, but we are flying through the stock. To see what a difference Bravecto can make, check out Mongkorn’s story!
Activities/Topic | April Total | 2024 Total So Far |
|---|---|---|
Sterilization/Surgery/Sedation | 304 | 982 |
Adoptions (Local & International) | 5 | 13 |
IVM Parasite Treatments (Ticks & Fleas) | 420 | 1420 |
Rabies & Combo Vaccations | 444 | 1239 |
Deworming Treatments | 100 | 550 |
Blood Parasite Treatments | 20 | 105 |
Wound Care | 230 | 760 |
TVT (Venereal Cancer Tumor Treatments) | 8 | 32 |
Skin Disease Treatments | 40 | 220 |
Volunteers | 25 | 96 |
Students | 4 | 13 |
Education Statistics | April Total | 2024 Total So Far |
|---|---|---|
Students Taught Directly | 458 | 2070 |
Students Taught Through Train-the-Trainer Program | 30 | 976 |
Total lesson plans delivered to Thai students | 15 | 81 |
XA Teachers Trained | 59 | 102 |
Active members of our Train-the-Trainer Corps. | 4 | 18 |
Training for Visitors to Rescue P.A.W.S. | 20 | 97 |
Animal Welfare Education Events Held | 0 | 0 |
Special Training for Adults | 0 | 7 |
Animal Welfare Education Flyers Distributed | 0 | 0 |
Presentations on Animal Welfare | 6 | 13 |
Total Number of School Partnerships Formed | 2 | 5 |
Address: 65 Khao Tao Temple, Nong Kae, Hua Hin District, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Thailand 77110
Phone: +66 (0) 84 2012 683
Email: [email protected]
