Bangkok's Prawet animal shelter, which houses around 200 dogs and 300 cats, is expanding its adoption work and improving facilities as the city seeks to manage its stray-animal population. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's BKK Adopter programme, launched online in early 2026, currently lists about 50 dogs and 30 cats available for homes. Shelter staff say prospective owners, including foreign residents, must be prepared for the space, cost and long-term commitment involved. From rabies quarantine to animal welfare Established in 1997 in Prawet district, the shelter was initially a rabies quarantine facility. Officials soon found that Bangkok's stray-animal problem also involved neglect and violence, while complaints led to inspections and the capture of animals unable to coexist safely in their communities. The 13-rai shelter sits in south-eastern Bangkok on the Samut Prakan border, behind sound-dampening walls. Improvements completed around 2024 brought redesigned facilities, divided zones and better screening procedures, according to Dr Pacharaorn Somboonvijitr, chief of the Dog Control and Shelter Subdivision at the Public Health Veterinarian Office Health Department. The site has an admission and registration office, preliminary veterinary treatment, a lawn for dogs to walk and play, and areas where visitors can meet animals before adopting. Separate kennels accommodate dogs and cats awaiting homes, as well as newly admitted animals suspected of rabies or requiring behavioural work. Dr Anchalee Thueansukhon, a veterinarian who has worked at Prawet for 15 years, said the main complaints concern aggressive animals, suspected rabies, violent cases requiring work with NGOs, and pets abandoned by owners. Adoption requires a lifelong commitment Animals are meant to stay at Prawet temporarily, receiving sterilisation and vaccination. Those needing longer-term care are sent to a larger shelter in Uthai Thani province, although animals whose behaviour improves may return to Prawet to await adoption. Puppies and kittens are usually the most sought-after animals, Dr Anchalee said, but dogs older than six months are trained to sit, stay close, give a paw and wait. The BKK Adopter listings also include newborn animals taken in with their mothers. Pictures courtesy of Jetjaras Na Ranong Applicants must complete questionnaires reviewed jointly by shelter staff and NGOs. They must show they have adequate space, meet welfare standards and can afford to care for the animal for its entire life. This is particularly relevant for newcomers to Thailand considering adopting a pet. Beyond food, owners need time for care and play, and should consider practical matters such as suitable housing and the ability to keep the animal long term. The shelter has also received owners wanting to leave their animals there, but Dr Pacharaorn said priority is given to genuine strays that cannot live safely in communities. Where intake is not possible, animals are sterilised, vaccinated and returned to their original areas. Dogs released under the scheme have an "N" marked on an ear to show they have been neutered, while cats receive registered numbers tattooed on their bellies. Officials say removing territorial animals can create space for new strays, whereas sterilised animals help prevent population growth. "We have limited capacity, and the owners must uphold their responsibilities," Dr Pacharaorn said. Join the discussion? 16 July 2026
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