Phuket Dogs To Be Issued With Microchips

[george]

Phuket dogs to be issued with microchips

PHUKET: -- Livestock officials on Thailand's southern island of Phuket are to register all the island’s dogs and issue them with microchips amid growing food and cash shortages at the island’s home for strays.

Phuket’s chief livestock officer, Mr. Sunat Wongchawalit, said today that since the Phuket Dogs Home opened in June this year it had successfully rounded up over 400 stray dogs from the island’s main tourist areas, but was now struggling to make ends meet.

Although the island authorities originally hoped that hotels would donate their leftover food to the home, no hotels have come forward to offer any scraps.

As a result, livestock officials have been trying desperately to scrabble together money from local government funds to pay both for dog food and to pay the salaries of the home’s workers.

Urging a preventative approach to the island’s canine crisis, particularly given Phuket’s status as one of Thailand’s most important tourism destinations, Mr. Sunat expressed hope that all the province’s dogs could be registered and fitted with microchips, at a cost of Bt200 per dog.

Phuket is currently home to an estimated 14,000 dogs, of which around 3,000 are strays.

--TNA 2004-10-21

[axl]

Stray dog advocate Margot Homburg Park told the Gazette:

“It’s also important to know that Phuket needs some stray dogs, because there is too much garbage still. The stray dogs that don’t get enough food, they do eat some garbage. Otherwise the rats and mice come"

Well - I am not so sure I'd want the dogs taking care of the rubbish which piles up in front of our house! I'd rather invest in the Garbage Disposal Company...

[Kringle]

Of the 400 dogs that have been picked up, have they spayed or neutered any of them. It would make a lot more sense to do this to all of them (3000strays) than to spend money to keep track of them. All of the other dogs should be required to be implanted by their owners and fined if found dumped on the public. See so many people that get a puppie and when it grows up, it's thrown out on the street to fend for itself.

Margot just sounds like an idiot when she says they need dogs to clean up the garbage. Advocate better garbage pickup and handling.

As far as feeding these 400 mutts, has anyone spent the time to work with the hotels or do they expect the hotels to deliver?

[axl]

Margot just sounds like an idiot when she says they need dogs to clean up the garbage. Advocate better garbage pickup and handling.

I agree... maybe M. "Humbug" Besides:

We're sitting here on 2 week old garbage bags and the major (Bang Tao) told us that they don't have enough money to sign a new contract with the Garbage Disposal Company. They themselves have not enough trucks and manpower; we (and out neighbors) offered to come up with the money to sponsor their gasoline costs - but that seems the least of their problems...

Nevertheless we get a new asphalt layer on the main road which has been paved 1 year ago...

[Felt 35]

14,000 dogs

Holy------ It was not more people in Phuket Town 19years ago!

needs some stray dogs

Equivalent to: Phuket need some shit!

successfully rounded up over 400 stray dogs

What about a few years out?

hoped that hotels would donate their leftover food to the home

Guess they could serve them some chicken that’s been a great success in Bangkok.