BuunLai

After my visit 2 days ago, I couldn't stop thinking about BuunLai. His back is almost the same as it was last September when I first met him. I took him to the vet for tests and they said his back was bleeding due to him scratching from the irritation of fleas. The vet added that due to the long term suffering of Mange, BuunLai's skin was now brittle ( like rice paper ) and must be moisturised.

So today BuunLai starts Antibiotic & Anti itch meds and I will spray him with Frontline.

I feel for this dog. He has such a lovely character and is just existing day to day in the ruins of the old city at Wiang Kum Kam, occasionally getting a tit-bit from a passer by or some love from the hairdresser and some food that I have given to him for BuunLai. I just wish I had more space and give him a home near to me.

Days like this make it all worthwhile

Today a group of people came to the shelter and wanted to donate some dog food.

They stayed for a long time, playing with the dogs and making the dogs feel special for a while.

When they went I was saying something like "thank you for coming today because you show to the dogs and me that maybe there is a future for these dogs, if young people like you are interested in their welfare..." and I just burst out crying. This was all very moving for me because I could see their happy smiling faces and feeling their warmth for the dogs.

What special folks these were !

Weekly Feed at Wat Doi Kam

Teresa joined me today for the feed. I think she fell in love with Butch and says she has a personal mission to fatten him up and get him to come to her. (Good luck Teresa :) )

Only half the pack here again today. Where are they?

It was great to have company with me to distract Dam, the dominant male, while the submissive ones got a feed with me, rather than just mopping up scaps after I have emptied the bowls on the carpark floor and drive away. I know this sounds terrible but thats the reality of the situation.

In November 2006 Royal Flora opened and this place (Wat Doi Kam) just went crazy. Stalls selling stuff like gardening equipment, dried fruits, bamboo flutes & cd's and a whole range of other 2 minute wonders. The car park became a dusty rubbish dump and instead of 2 cars a day, there were around 1000. Rubbish at this temple has always been a problem, the staff just sweep it over the edge into the forest. But now, it is beyond words.

This week Royal Flora closed after its initial 3 months and maybe the pack at Doi Kam can get back to a routine like they had before November.

Noticed Sonja limping today and when I lifted her in my arms I saw why. each foot had at least one pad with the skin hanging off and raw flesh exposed to the ground. I took her back to the shelter after a vet trip, to have some R&R with daily dressings and a good feed.

Also took Sandy to the shelter for sterilisation. This little dog had been dumped at the temple about 2 weeks ago and just sat around the car park looking at each car that came, just in case it was her family coming back to collect her. She had lost weight and was not joining the pack.



In the afternoon, went to Winag Kum Kam to see BuunLai and Kh Chom the hairdresser. He asked me to visit a neighbour, who had a dog with a problem. Lucky is a dog they found wandering on a petrol station forecourt a year ago and thought it was a St Bernard puppy. The picture says it all. Poor thing cannot see, his nose is severely bruised from bumping into things. The vet diagnosed Glaucoma and prescribed some drops. He said the current meds the owners had from another vet were not to treat the same condition and wondered why ? He said to check results in 2 weeks after using the new drops. The vet also agreed with me that the dog may be Albino as the skin in his mouth, ears, eyes & nose were extremely pink. This the vet suggested could indicate that there were more issues awaiting to arise. I informed the owner of the diagnosis and I will visit him in 2 weeks to see Lucky.