Thailand is home to a huge population of stray dogs, the result of a culture that doesn't accept euthanasia and lacklustre government efforts to control numbers by neutering programs. More accurately described as community dogs rather than strays because people feed and offer shelter to most dogs, our society treats and neuters in an effort to improve levels of welfare.

This project began at the captive bear centre in Banglamung district of Cholburi province following il-conceived efforts to house large numbers of stray dogs in caged enclosures that led to massive mortality and disease transfer issues. We expanded this work to a neutering and treatment project in the nearby tourist city of Pattaya and then to other locations where work with stray dogs is both desperately needed and enthusiastically embraced by local community leaders. Stray dogs have also been trained to work alongside rangers in forest protection duties and to detect smuggled wildlife at airports while building local support in rural communities also helps us educate people on animal welfare issues and the need to better protect forests from exploitation.

Stray dog support activities continue in Cholburi where we have a fully-equipped clinic adjoining our Wild Animal Quarantine Centre and around several Wildlife Centres operated by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife & Plant Conservation. Other locations include areas surrounding our Mae Hong Son Wild Animal Rescue Centre where we work in 13 remote villages and in communities bordering the wildlife sanctuary chosen for our Black Bear Reintroduction project in the eastern province of Chanthaburi. Population control and treatment is also offered to stray dogs in the area surrounding our Bangkok education centre.