Kho Phangan Dogs
Kho Phangan Dogs
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There are many many stray dogs and cats on Koh Phangan. A lot them are sick, wounded, injured, starving and pregnant without any help until the Animal Clinic on Koh Phangan opened. The first time I went to Koh Phangan was in April of 1997. That time, the island did not have electricity, only generators. There were so many dogs that almost all of them had problems with skin disease, sickness, wounds and starvation. I had never seen such skinny dogs and cats in my life. It pained me very much in my heart. That time of course there was no Animal Clinic on Koh Phangan. Dog Rescue Center Samui did not even exist on the island of Samui either. So, I did what I could and only feed the skinny baby cats and dogs. I was only on the island for two weeks before I had to leave though. | |
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About 2 months later I came back with deworming medicine, ear cleaner and eye drops. During my visit I met two women who were helping dogs and cats. Thier names were Wipp, owner of a clothing store and Nikki, the wife of the owner of Back Yard Club. I went to talk to them and they told me they have Rabies vaccine, deworming medicine and birth control vaccinations. They got them from the Thai government. This is the first time I really got involved with Koh Phangan animals. | |
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I heard stories about people who work for the government coming to the Koh Phangan once or twice a year to kill the dogs on the island. I talked with a couple of people whom actually saw the tramatic scene. They told me it was one of the most horrible things you could witness. Some nice people were keeping the dogs on their bungalows until the government people left. My friend told me she kept her 7 dogs in her bungalow when she heard they were coming. It is also common for some mean people to mix poison with food and leave it for the dogs to eat and die. Unfortunately, so many of my friends' dogs have been poisoned and died. Others don't eat enough of the poison so they suffer helplessly until they finally die or recover days later. Wipp used to help dogs and cats. She had 3 dogs in the past but, all were poisoned and died. She told me she is too scared to be involved with animals anymore. That's why she quit now. | |
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Back to 1997, I could only give rabbies and birth control vaccinations to the dogs I took care of; Bakka, Kuro, Mama san, Scam and Mon. There are stories of these dogs on my Koh Phangan Dog Stories Page. I left in November of 1997. I only hoped that these dogs would be ok. |
| In June of 1999 I came back to Koh Phangan. When I was in Bangkok I went to the Veterinarian College and bought many kinds of medicines. I also brought itch relief medicine, flea powder and nutrition tablets from U.S.A I discovered that while I was gone someone opened the Dog Rescue Center on Samui island. Nikki told me I could get vaccinations from them. When I visited Dog Rescue Center Samui, I was very happy because they had a vet there. They just opend one month before my arrival. I asked If I could get rabbies and birth control vaccines. The vet gave me about 20 rabbies and 25 bith control vaccinations. The doctor told me how to give the shots myself. Nikki helped me give a shot and taught me exactly how to do it. After she left, I had to give the vaccines myself. The birth control cannot be given to a pregnant dog. I had to be careful. I stayed 2 months and half and watch the dogs all the time so it wasn't difficult to know which were pregnant and which I had given shots to. When I had to leave the Island, I was very sad to say goodbye to the dogs that I took care of. Their names were Pig, Skinny Mama, Cloud, 5 of Cloud's black puppies, Fat Face and Jay. I felt at least I did what I could do. | |