Weekly feed at Wat Doi Kam

Not a good day.

First of all I went to the car park to feed the residents, had a big bucket of food along with bowls, water and chews for a crunchy desert.

Along came Oscar looking forlorn and Mare came too. Butch stood back and the 3 of them ate a few bowls each. After quite some time Taylor turned up.

I walked to the temple and when I greeted the Pepsi stall holder, she just lowered her eyes. I went inside the temple square and looked at the bag of food I brought 4 weeks ago. It had only just been opened. I asked the women, that are now appearing to be regularly cooking up something in the kitchen area but I not sure for who, if they had seen any other dogs around? I was greeted with an emotional outburst that I finally understood to say that 2 dogs had died. I asked which ones & how she knew and she said they had not eaten and starved to death. She said that Sandy and another Black & White dog had died. So that tells me that either Lady, Pat or Gina have died.

I asked if she fed them during the week? She said she cooked them rice and vegetables. I asked her if she mixed the dry dog food I brought to their kitchen a month ago. She said she thought her cooking was better than that food. I bit my tongue a little and tried to explain about vitamins and protein. I also attempted to explain about dominant & submissive behaviour ( in dogs!!) but I fear it was all wasted. I just cannot get the Thai words that I know to actually say what I want to communicate.

I returned to the car park and found Sonja & Dam chasing chickens (protein) and after another half hour of waiting for other dogs to come out into the open, I packed up and drove away feeling very sad and wanting to scream so loud but not sure at who.

Here are just a few suggestions -

• people that dumped the dogs here in the first place


• folks that come and go, not thinking twice about these poor souls


• the staff at the temple


• the powers that be, for failing to establish an acceptable level of animal welfare


• myself for not finding time every day to come to this temple


• the majority of the population of Chiang Mai for not helping dogs here at the temple, or for that matter throughout Chiang Mai


• the majority of the population of Thailand for not helping dogs throughout Thailand


• me, for ........ there must be something I could have done

I will finish this days diary entry with a few pics of the car park at Wat Doi Kam, some, just some ( 1% of the visible total) of the rubbish, the remains of fires that are just adding to the smog and a very disturbing sight.

This rubbish bin must have contained something in the way of food for the dogs to have clawed it so much. Do they raid this bin in a hope that their next and maybe last meal will be inside ? I make no apologies for writing such sadness.