Thailand: A nation of dog lovers?

[Moti24]

I was prompted to write this post after reading yesterday’s article about the 7 year old boy who was attacked by a pack of dogs on a beach in the south of Thailand.

 

I’m a dog lover. I grew-up with a dog as a family pet, and have 2 dogs now that I take for a walk 4 times a day, and clean-up their mess with a bag every time. If they are sick, I take them to the vet. My wife gives them a shower on a regular basis. In fact, if it were possible, I’d consider trading places with them some days. To me, dogs are part of the family, and referred-to as he or she, not it.

 

In the 15 years I’ve lived in Thailand, I’ve come to look upon the growing number of feral dogs as one large pain in the backside. I would never intentionally harm a dog, however, I can feel by boiler ready to blow, and I won’t have to travel too far to make it happen.

 

Two sides to the story:

 

1. The majority of Thai home-owners have dogs; have dogs and not own dogs. It’s almost like a dog is an accessory when buying a house. The dogs get fed, but that’s about it; most of them are left to roam the streets, constantly bark, shit everywhere, and generally make a nuisance of themselves. Eventually, a lot of these dogs are abandoned, either left at a temple, or just not fed and the dogs drift-off to the next feeding hole, adding to the soi dog population. Who’s responsible for the 7 year old boy being savaged? Previous home owners, the government, the street vendors who without a doubt make food available for the dogs, the local idiots who make it their daily chore to drop-off food for the soi dogs, or the 7 year old boy who dared to play on the beach, invading the dog’s territory. And what happened – four dogs were shot with tranquilizer darts, in case they have rabies, and caged, no doubt to be released back on the beach at a later date! Something seriously wrong here!

 

2. One of my neighbours (actually living in a different village, but quite close to my house, over the side wall) had a dog. I’m not sure of the breed, but I think it was a Siberian Huskie; beautiful dog, but always kept in the garden, never taken for walks as far as I know. The dog’s owner died about 4 years ago in a motorcycle accident. His wife and her mother live in the house, but, other than feed the dog, never give it any attention. Shortly after the owner died, the dog started howling at different times during the night; sometimes 2am/3am/4am; the howling used to go-on for a couple of minutes each time. According to the mother, the dog was affected by its owners death and was communicating with him, but she did nothing to stop it howling. The dog became a real pain in the backside. I was constantly woken-up during most nights (no doubt so were all the other neighbours, but they’d say nothing), and complained several times to the mother and daughter, but it was like talking to a brick wall. About 2 months ago, the dog was obviously ill; the howling turned to shorter cries of pain, and on a more regular basis. The cries of pain weren’t as loud as the howling, but still loud enough to wake me up. This went-on for about 6 weeks, until the dog died in the garden, having not been taken to a vet, as far as I know. Now, I find myself waking-up, thinking what a horrible life that beautiful dog had, only to die in pain. Something seriously wrong here, also!

 

Conclusion:

 

Seven year old boy savaged by a pack of feral dogs, whilst playing happily on the beach. The dogs have been tranquilized and caged in case they have rabies, and no doubt will be released as soon as possible, to attack again.

 

Beautiful dog died after 6 weeks in agony because of the laws that prevent the dog being humanely put-down.

 

Thailand: A nation of dog lovers?

 

I think not!

[fruitman]

Thai don't love dogs at all! How can they be so cruel to them to NEVER let them out or even playing with them?

 

I know at least 40 families with siberian huskies and they never ever walk them. Mostly they dump them at the temple as soon they are not a cute puppy anymore...or they give them away and buy a new pup.

 

Also it's normal to let a dog cry all night...especially those small ones...very selfish and rude to the neighbours. Sorry but i have no good words for the Thai and their dogs....maybe 1 out of 10 Thai is a good dogowner, ALL THE REST are too selfish to have a dog.

[wildewillie89]

Education and mass sterialisation is what is needed in the short term at least. However, mass sterialisation is sometimes difficult due to budget restraints and the law. For example, many municipalities want to fund a sterialisation program in their villages, however, the law does not allow it as the livestock office have to fund the medical side of it. So local officials do try, they just have their hands tied a lot of the time. 

Dog tax has already been proposed and met with some very heavy criticism, so like the people in the back of the pick up law and increasing garbage disposal fee it may just quietly disappear not to be spoken about again.

It doesn't matter what us expats think, what matters is what the locals think. If the locals don't want to make the effort to attend local government meetings and get educated on the matter of roaming dogs and the serious issues they cause (which most do not) then they also must live with the consequences (which it seems they are happy to do). By extension by living here, so should we. Any expat with young children know the dangers, it is up to them how much they choose to supervise their kids. Thais also know at least the surface dangers, but still choose not to supervise. My country didn't have roaming dogs, but parents were religiously reminded not to let young children run ahead or be unsupervised near beaches due to drowning. 

I always thought people should see if they are capable of owning a dog before they have children, especially transitioning from easy breeds to some more difficult breeds to make sure they understand. I believe this as dogs are similar in social development as young children. So the family should be able to  demonstrate they are responsible (feeding, housing, medical needs, entertainment, walking with leash/holding hand, closing gates near roads etc), are consistent in praising good behaviour and being firm when necessary in terms of discipline, can commit to routines so the dog and future child will grow up in a trusting and confident home etc. Maybe an easier option, as the contention is Thais do not love their dogs, is to try and fix the parenting issues and with that the dog solution will naturally solve itself in a few generations with improved education, structure and empathy. 

[Kwasaki]

2 hours ago, Moti24 said:

And what happened – four dogs were shot with tranquilizer darts, in case they have rabies, and caged, no doubt to be released back on the beach at a later date! Something seriously wrong here!

Yes I find that strange behaviour by the authorities when they should be destroyed and then tested for rabies.

I don't think they will be released but it wouldn't surprise me.

Our local village gov have made things much better after many years of complaints about soi dogs and loose dogs roaming the tourist areas but I think only because of many g/h 's are in soi's and tourist complain.

[Kwasaki]

1 hour ago, fruitman said:

Thai don't love dogs at all!

I don't that's true there are many good Thai dog owners in our area as well as bad.

What I observe is what I call puppy love here, they take on puppies and leave the grown up ones somewhere at temples and in the parks.  

[Kwasaki]

30 minutes ago, wildewillie89 said:

So local officials do try, they just have their hands tied a lot of the time. 

I think the local officials do have the money but not hands tied in their pockets. 

Thais in our area know when the dog catchers are coming all of a sudden there's a lot of dogs with collars on. ????

[jesimps]

There are nine dogs in next door's walled garden which make an unimaginable racket at various times day and night. I'd like to shoot the lot along with their Thai owners.

[Goldenretriever]

 

 

[Jonnapat]

A nation of dog OWNERS, there's a big difference. 

[mike787]

I am so touched...so now what???  What will change?  What will we/can do? Nothing!  Just keep the tender/feel good narrative going...YEP! Ah, I feel better already...yet still so useless...  

[PatOngo]

Any dog owner who feeds their dog mainly rice has little or no idea. They have yet to work out that dogs have large teeth because they are meat eaters.

[Thingamabob]

Mostly cruel and clueless with all animals, not only dogs. Very strange in what is supposedly a Buddhist country.

[marcusarelus]

34 minutes ago, PatOngo said:

Any dog owner who feeds their dog mainly rice has little or no idea. They have yet to work out that dogs have large teeth because they are meat eaters.

So funny and so true.  I also have no use for dog breeders.  Adopt a soi dog.  Given the right food and attention they are as intelligent as any purebred and less problems. 

[GTgrizzly]

7 hours ago, wildewillie89 said:

Education and mass sterialisation is what is needed in the short term at least. However, mass sterialisation is sometimes difficult due to budget restraints and the law. For example, many municipalities want to fund a sterialisation program in their villages, however, the law does not allow it as the livestock office have to fund the medical side of it. So local officials do try, they just have their hands tied a lot of the time. 

Dog tax has already been proposed and met with some very heavy criticism, so like the people in the back of the pick up law and increasing garbage disposal fee it may just quietly disappear not to be spoken about again.

It doesn't matter what us expats think, what matters is what the locals think. If the locals don't want to make the effort to attend local government meetings and get educated on the matter of roaming dogs and the serious issues they cause (which most do not) then they also must live with the consequences (which it seems they are happy to do). By extension by living here, so should we. Any expat with young children know the dangers, it is up to them how much they choose to supervise their kids. Thais also know at least the surface dangers, but still choose not to supervise. My country didn't have roaming dogs, but parents were religiously reminded not to let young children run ahead or be unsupervised near beaches due to drowning. 

I always thought people should see if they are capable of owning a dog before they have children, especially transitioning from easy breeds to some more difficult breeds to make sure they understand. I believe this as dogs are similar in social development as young children. So the family should be able to  demonstrate they are responsible (feeding, housing, medical needs, entertainment, walking with leash/holding hand, closing gates near roads etc), are consistent in praising good behaviour and being firm when necessary in terms of discipline, can commit to routines so the dog and future child will grow up in a trusting and confident home etc. Maybe an easier option, as the contention is Thais do not love their dogs, is to try and fix the parenting issues and with that the dog solution will naturally solve itself in a few generations with improved education, structure and empathy. 

Bullets are not very expensive

I would happily contribute if they cant afford them

 

 

[w475]

I walk my neighbours dog which is a labrador. She is only 9 months old, full of beans and has hip problems, which is partly endemic to the breed, partly probably because the breeders have bred the crap out of a small number of dogs to make money and partly because she is not exercised. But the Thai owners look after her and clean her teeth, wash and brush her coat, clean up the poo twice a day etc, but she's not allowed in the house and has little company or anything to do and a very small space.

 

But putting a dog on a leash and taking it for a walk is not the Thai way and I suspect Thai people don't really like to stand out and be the first person to do anything. It's just not the culture here.

 

I walk her regularly now, I have never seen a dog go so crazy with happiness but the problem is soi dogs, at 35kg she's the big dog but 0% aggressive. The soi dogs would have a go at an elephant anyway. There are some private moo baans nearby where the other dogs are locked up - but they go crazy barking when we walk past and I think some of the residents have taken to leaving their gates open at night to discourage our nightly walks. Personally I wouldn't have thought it was that big a deal if your dog barks for a few minutes while the crazy farang walks past. I reckon if I tasered one or two of the really aggressive ones that might help them calm them down or possibly start with some chili water in a water pistol and work up to the firearms....

[AaronC76]

You say you are a dog lover but did nothing to help the dog next door? You could have at least taken it for a walk at least one of the times a day you took your dogs out.

[GinBoy2]

I'm not a dog person, but in general Thai's have an appalling attitude to 'pets' hence the endemic packs of soi dogs and feral cats.

They just don't see them the same way that most us do, part of your family, to be looked after and protected, and in return give you love and affection. They are for the most part, no different to the chickens in the backyard

One of the reasons I paid the extortionate money to ship our cat when we repatriated, was there was literally no-one I could trust to look after her.

At best she might have get fed!

[w475]

In some ways Thai people's approach towards animals might be more consistent than ours, where we spend tens of thousands of baht giving our animals medical attention many humans here could not afford while thinking 'I am such a great person look at me I love animals', all while not giving a monkeys about the animals we raise for 'food' that end up on our dinner plates.

 

Just a thought.

[MyFriend You]

No, Thailand is not a Nation of Dog Lovers............Vietnam is.

[Liverpudlian]

On 1/29/2019 at 8:56 AM, fruitman said:

Thai don't love dogs at all! How can they be so cruel to them to NEVER let them out or even playing with them?

 

I know at least 40 families with siberian huskies and they never ever walk them. Mostly they dump them at the temple as soon they are not a cute puppy anymore...or they give them away and buy a new pup.

 

Also it's normal to let a dog cry all night...especially those small ones...very selfish and rude to the neighbours. Sorry but i have no good words for the Thai and their dogs....maybe 1 out of 10 Thai is a good dogowner, ALL THE REST are too selfish to have a dog.

Nailed it all !  plus the bloody damage they cause to vehicles .

[Justin Side]

Thais do not have a clue how to take care of dogs.

Give it a bit of leftover rice and let it run wild.

Hit it with a stick now and then.

Taking care of dogs Thai style.

begins with wan and ends with kers all of them.

[marcusarelus]

5 minutes ago, Justin Side said:

Thais do not have a clue how to take care of dogs.

Give it a bit of leftover rice and let it run wild.

Hit it with a stick now and then.

Taking care of dogs Thai style.

begins with wan and ends with kers all of them.

My vet sells Royal Canin and stocks a lot and frequently runs out.  She also neuters and vaccinates and sells monthly worming medications.  She is busy.  Works 6 days a week with 2 assistants.

 

I think it would be accurate to say the Thais you know don't have a clue because the ones I know all do.   

[dick dasterdly]

Compared to other poorer countries, Thai people are (mostly) more 'caring' than others IMO.

 

When I was young, I used to holiday in Greece and Turkey and was appalled at the way they treated animals.  They had no compassion at all.

 

A few years later, I visited the Philippines - and was even more horrified when hubby and I were going out to eat, and saw an old local, sitting and smiling at us - even though a cat (that had obviously been poisoned) was dying a few feet away from her....  We gave up on our evening meal and took the obviously dying cat home to our rented bungalow to give her some comfort for her few remaining hours.

 

Our next holiday destination was Thailand (Cha-Am) and there were two homeless dogs on the beach.  One of them was in a terrible state (skin problems - I called her 'Scabby'), but as we were on holiday (MANY years ago) and so didn't have any idea as to vets in the area - we were reduced to just feeding them, and making a fuss of the small, Jack Russell type dog, that was VERY friendly and obviously only looking for a home .  Her 'partner' (German Shepard type) was far more cautious.

 

Hubby and I talked about taking Scabby home, but it was our first time in Thailand (and we knew nothing about Soi Dogs, who could have helped us) - so couldn't see any way to do so, especially as we would also need to take her partner.  After all these years (25?), I still feel guilty about not doing more to help her and him .

 

The hotel in which we were staying was obviously run by relatively nice Thai people, as they had no problem with the dogs drinking from the hotel pool, and presumably fed them scraps from their restaurant, as they weren't noticeably malnourished.

 

Most Thais have some compassion towards homeless animals, and at least put out scraps for them.

[MyFriend You]

On 1/29/2019 at 8:56 AM, fruitman said:

Thai don't love dogs at all! How can they be so cruel to them to NEVER let them out or even playing with them?

 

I know at least 40 families with siberian huskies and they never ever walk them. Mostly they dump them at the temple as soon they are not a cute puppy anymore...or they give them away and buy a new pup.

 

Also it's normal to let a dog cry all night...especially those small ones...very selfish and rude to the neighbours. Sorry but i have no good words for the Thai and their dogs....maybe 1 out of 10 Thai is a good dogowner, ALL THE REST are too selfish to have a dog.

40 families with Siberian's??  I have seen one Husky in Bangkok, one. You do know this breed is born to Pull??  they make terrible pets even when properly trained, are very strong, and can pull an average man off his feet.............and they are very expensive, so I guess you live in the Hiso Village somewhere in Bangkok to know 40 families with Siberians.   BTW,  I helped raise altogether 26 Siberians in the US, we sold them all around the USA and Canada for sled dog competitions, we would get between $1000 and $2500 a dog..............you may be mistaken about the breed, or exaggerating a bit??    

[MyFriend You]

On 1/30/2019 at 9:48 PM, TunnelRat69 said:

No, Thailand is not a Nation of Dog Lovers............Vietnam is.

Why??  They raise dog's and feed them well to be eaten during birthdays, holidays, weddings, funerals, instead of letting them run around the streets looking for food, infected with diseases.  Dog Meat is more expensive than Pork or beef.