Wiang Kum Kam

Today I returned Urrr Lurrr back home after her sterilisation 2 weeks ago and a successful treatment of conjunctivitis. As soon as I set the transport cage on the ground, she was off like a rocket into the familiar surroundings of the vendor area at the front of Wiang Kum Kam. I hardly had time to whip the camera out & just managed to catch a departing shot. Despite only having 3 legs operating, she can certainly run at a pace. Maybe it was the excitement of being home?

Next I caught up with Kh Chom (village hairdresser & animal lover) who was taking some time out over the holiday period to walk amongst the ruins of temples & chedi, along with BuunLai, NongLai, BuunKeow and his 2 favourite goats, Makham & Daeng. We lifted the transport cage from the rear of the truck and let BuunKaow (the white dog with black lips) rejoin her friends and they all ran to greet her & there was lots of muzzle licking & sniffing and some playful chases. This girl had at last found her freedom and also free of the TvT we discovered when we took her along for a routine sterilisation.

This dog was a nightmare to catch, not even Kh Chom was ever able to touch her, so we had to trick her & feed her a sedative. She just hated the transportation, and hated the accommodation at the shelter. She is physically healed now but I still feel she is scared permanently by the capture, restraint & confinement, that the process of sterilisation requires of a dog of this nature. She is also camera shy and once the greeting was over, ran off to find a shady spot out of the way.

Venereal Disease & Sterilisation

BuunKeow & Daeng are visiting the vet today for their weekly check on the treatment of Venereal Disease (TvT). Daeng last week didn't get another jab as her liver is suffering from the effects of the Chemotherapy. Despite only having 2 injections so far, the improvement is amazing. The vet advised he would not inject this week either and to continue the liver improvement tablets and see her again next week.

(Before - 4 weeks ago)

BuunKeow on the other hand is as fat as ever, eating well and looking healthy and not showing signs of reaction to the treatment. She got her 4th jab today and the vet thinks that next week might be the last one.

NongLai, BuunLai's partner and SongDar (dumped this week at Wat Vivek & picked up by Karin during her weekly feed session on Wednesday)are along today for sterilisation.

Donations, Adoptions & Lucky Dogs

Popped into Wiang Kum Kam to pick up NongLai for sterilisation this morning but despite asking Kh Chom to keep her in a transport cage overnight, she was off roaming and eating & drinking stuff. So no vet trip today. Instead, I took her back to the shelter for a vet run tomorrow. BuunLai took it bad. He was very vocal and howled for ages at the back of my truck and I almost let her out again. Still it will only be a day apart, she will be back there tomorrow evening.

Travelled into town to reclaim money from a travel agent that was due to Nola, who volunteered with us last year and is now back in the states. She has asked me to collect the refund, donate some to Wat Jedi Luang, some to Care for Dogs and then send the rest back to her. What a lovely girl she is.

So off to Chedi Luang I go, because I have never been there in all the time I have been here and wondered what existed behind those high walls and caused for her to speak or write about it so much.

Its an awesome looking Chedi and indeed there are loads of doggy's just wandering around.

I was there for 20 minutes. Dur durrrrr! Wheel clamp with a Police ticket on the screen. Silly me, I didn't understand the one sign on the street written in Thai to say that I should not park on this side of the road today. Murphy's law! The other side had loads of space to park but I chose to park in the shade. Anyway, that said goodbye to an hour while I waited for the Traffic Police to come & unlock the wheel clamp. The guy suggested I take a tuk tuk to the station and pay a fee and then return & await for him to revisit and unlock it. I showed him my camera pics and moaned in a very nice way and he took licence and gave me a ticket. Bugger!

Found a coffee shop and drowned my sorrows! A slice of Lemon Meringue helped.

In the afternoon, some folks came to the shelter hoping to adopt a dog. They had seen a picture of Noy, a short legged Rottweiler and wanted to see him. I drove them to Doi Saket, to visit him during his training stay with Nienke of Lucky Dogs fame.

They seemed very interested but want some time to think about it. They want the dog for their parents and want to tell them all about him first. Lets wait & see.

Once again, back at the shelter, some more folks turned up hoping to adopt a dog. These guys brought along 4 big bags of food for the shelter and wanted to see some of the cute little puppies that had previously been dumped at Mr Chan Pizza Restaurant. They also went away to consider their options.

Maybe it was something I had for breakfast.... today was just a disaster!

Wiang Kum Kam

Showered BuunLai again today and his skin & hair are looking so much better. He is so playful and affectionate. I really do enjoy my Monday visits to see him. Today NongLai was also very affectionate and she posed especially for a regal photo. (BuunLai & NongLai are an item and spend all their time together)

Whilst there, I gave some Ivomec to him in some sardines and slipped some Sedalin in some sardines to catch another dog called BuunKaow. (Don't ask me why the hair dresser at Wiang Kum Kam has named all the dogs starting with Buun)... (ok ok, Buun is goodness, virtue & merit & the opposite of Barb which means evil & sin ) Anyway, she needs to be sterilised, she is hard to catch and right now, she is available & not hiding under a house. She is now at the shelter awaiting a trip to the vet.

If you are wondering why her mouth looks strange, I can assure you she hasn't been eating coal. There is none at the shelter! I think she has been scared by something like acid or burnt.

I then visited the front area of Wiang Kum Kam and found the poor wretch still tucked away in the stable area, the empty bowl I had put down last week, still in front of him/her and they were still looking so sorry for themselves. I put some more sardines & Ivomec down and I expect to see that bowl in the same place next week too. Saw the other dog Sua (Tiger) stretched out in the sun & gave him the same potion for his mange.

Gave loads of chews away and some dogs were more accepting of me this week. This place is definitely in need of our help to sterilise as many as possible to bring down their numbers. Today just driving through the complex of ruins and around the front entrance, I counted no fewer than 30 dogs.