I've taken over at least 12 dogs, some of which have been poisoned by some weirdo, because they weren't being fed, or pet, by their "owners". I live in a village also, and see loose dogs everywhere, many of which are the temple dogs and some just roam. Yes, some are "owned" by people, who feed them when they come around, but it's nowhere near like what happens in the west, where your dogs come back every day, even those in the country where roaming is allowed. No dogs here are kept behind a fence, although some do stay close to their yards. If the government actually cared about their citizens, they would pay for that spay/neuter program. If this happened, there wouldn't be so many dogs roaming around making puppies, which would help the citizens also. Enforcement of laws is lax here and therein lies the problem. Yes, Thais don't have much spare money, so their dogs should be neutered and spayed so they aren't as much of a problem. Dogs here aren't loved like they are in the west. They love the puppies and take them in, but rarely fix them, get them shots, or even care for them once they're adult dogs, hence the roaming. Responsibility does cost money, so if you don't have the money, don't have as many dogs, or get them fixed. I've been here over 8 years and knew of this problem long before I moved here. It's the same as with the children, who are shuffled off to grandma over 40% of the time, ride on top of school buses, sit three on a scooter passing policemen , under aged, with no helmets. Taking selfies with the kids then they're pushed aside, much like the dogs, as they get older. The girls here are looked at as inferior, second class, and hoped they'll become men in reincarnation. That's the thinking. If you're going to own a pet, take care of it, or don't have them. Dogs and cats here are poisoned by the thousands because many hate having them around. I see them kicked all the time, because they are "in the way". There are countless dogs at village schools who live there, with no owners. My daughter's school has at least 7, and one had puppies, which will make it 11 at that school looking for handouts and causing problems wandering looking for food in the village. Hopefully not biting any children, as dogs that aren't trained, or fixed, are aggressive animals. This is a problem that the government should be spending money on, instead of wasting it on projects that aren't helping the citizens directly.
