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Battersea and Jai Dog Rescue Partner to Help Transform the Lives of Thai Street Dogs World-renowned animal rescue charity Battersea has teamed up with Thailand street dog charity Jai Dog Rescue in an ambitious five-year project to transform the lives of street dogs in central Thailand.
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here are an estimated 6 to 10 million stray or semi-roaming dogs in Thailand, many suffering a lifetime of hunger and neglect, and until now, resource to combat the issue has been scarce. Working together the two animal charities will establish a new programme to neuter and vaccinate over 70,000 stray dogs in central Thailand over five years, protecting these animals from disease and improving their life expectancy. The project seeks to reach those dogs in greatest need of support, creating a life for stray dogs that allows them to experience a safe, stable, and painfree existence, living harmoniously alongside the Thai community. This ground-breaking global partnership between the two charities forms part of Battersea’s mission to create lasting change for animals wherever they are. Paul Marvell, Executive Head of Global Programmes at Battersea says, “Over 160 years, Battersea has helped millions of stray dogs, focusing our efforts on helping some of the most vulnerable animals in society. The knowledge we’ve gained is now helping us to improve the lives of the animals we’ll never meet, through our work with other rescue organisations and charities at home and abroad. We’re incredibly excited to embark on a new partnership with Jai Dog Rescue. Over the next five years our charities will seek to neuter and vaccinate over 70,000 stray dogs in Thailand, protecting these animals from suffering and giving them an opportunity to experience health and happiness.” The new partnership will help dogs like three-year old Mook. When she
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lived on the streets, she was injected with birth control hormones by locals desperate to help by any means possible. After all, more puppies would mean more mouths to feed, more scuffles and skirmishes, and more barking at night. Sadly, their efforts resulted in an infected uterus that nearly killed Mook. She was lucky to survive, but tragically 80% of stray dogs in Thailand won’t live past adolescence. Jai Dog Rescue team Jai Dog Rescue has been working tirelessly to break the cycle of stray dog suffering in Thailand of a staggering number of street dogs.” since 2017 but until now has not had Just one litter of puppies born on the support to bring about large-scale the streets of Thailand can lead to change. Mike Dower, Co-Founder and 67,000 dogs in six years. Sterilisation Shelter Manager of Jai Dog Rescue offers hope to dogs already born to a says, life on the streets. Male dogs are less “Life is tough for Thailand’s street likely to become involved in ferocious dogs. Disease is rife, the climate is and often lethal fights over a breeding unforgiving, and competition for female. They’re also less inclined to territory and food is fierce. To date, roam which reduces the chance of we have provided a vital lifeline for them being killed or injured by traffic. thousands of these dogs through Neutering also removes the risk of our rescue and rehabilitation work testicular cancer and the likelihood of and CNVR (Catch, Neuter, Vaccinate, developing problems such as prostate Return) clinics; however, we know that cancer disease. For female dogs, it there is still much more to be done. means being freed from the cycle of That’s why we are delighted to be uncontrolled breeding, birthing litter working alongside Battersea to deliver after litter, with many of the puppies such a monumental programme: one unlikely to survive. which we are sure will bring about real As well as providing £1.8m funding and lasting change. By establishing a to the project, Battersea will share its meticulous model of mobile clinics, expertise in running trap, neuter, and we expect to reach around 80% of release programmes to tackle stray the stray dog population of Nakhon dog and cat populations and setting up Nayok within five years, tackling the community engagement programmes growing issues for decades to come and to promote better relationships and allowing both dogs and people to enjoy safer interactions between people and a more peaceful life together, whilst dogs. simultaneously transforming the lives
