National Soi Dog Day

[Phil Conners]

Sheesh, yes let's leave the dogs creaping around, scraping together a decrepit life cuz we can't put them down in a humane way. See some of the scab infected soi dogs who can barely walk for pain. Oh, but as long as you do nothing you haven't done anything bad ...

[PvtDick]

99% of the soi dogs I see every day are fat, healthy, well-fed, and well taken care of. On the other hand, I've seen some expats that look like they need to be put down humanely...

[Thaiboxer]

99% of the soi dogs I see every day are fat, healthy, well-fed, and well taken care of. On the other hand, I've seen some expats that look like they need to be put down humanely...

You're right about that! Some of the soi dogs are so fat you'd wonder if they've been eating some of the expats here and there.

[Phil Conners]

Maybe soi dogs in the tourist area get fat, those in the sticks are generally scrappy, thin, most missing large patches of fur, many have scabs all over...

[Erwin1011]

And the rats and roaches are always neglected when it comes to a national day...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Isn't election day enough?

cv

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Same, same

[PvtDick]

I neither work nor live in a "tourist area". The charming mongrels around here are well looked after. They've all got collars, names, and a steady source of food and water.

[DJ Pat]

My local pack of hounds are well fed, respectable, friendly and quite clean. Wonder if they'll be aware that one day has been dedicated to them!

[drummer]

I wonder if they'd hire the Soi Dogs Blues Band?

[Jockstar]

Dogs are cool. I know you get some nast buggers. But generally if you take the tiem to show them affection. In time they will come over.. Dogs are not just for Xmas.

[IMA_FARANG]

In Vietnam it is common to eat dog

in the Philipines only in certain areas.

But it is meat, just like any other - and more readily available.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

When I was in Vietnam, many years ago, someone stole my dog. Nice dog too. Probably ended up on a plate. Hope the person was really hungry, at least.

[lampard10]

Hopefully the soi dogs wont end on a plate!!!

In many places they already have...who knows how many vendors have been busted for selling BBQ'd soi dog when they were adverstising for grilled steak! Actually, there is a province in the Issan where dogs are frequently eaten although probably the mangiest of them are left alone....doubt they would be too tasty

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You leave my restaurant out of this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DJ Pat]

Maa yang....delicious!

[Kringle]

A neuter or spade day would work for me. As for seeing anywhere near 50% of these mangy buggers in good shape would surprise me. You guys must live in a well to do area or you don't go anywhere except where you live. The bloody (I do mean bloody from scratching) things are everywhere and need to be taken away and something, anything done with them. I've got a little girl and worry about these frickin things. My neighbor just got his boy out of hospital for some blood condition that was caused by contact with dogs. Fix all of them so when they die, there will be less later.

[Kerryd]

I've helped looked after 3 Soi Dogs in Walking St for 3 years now.

Pattaya guys will know them, 1 fat White dog, A mangy lookin brown dog, and a brindle fat dog with little legs.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I probably helped make a couple of your dogs fat !

I usually sit in the Lucky Stars complex, watching the world go by. Everytime I buy something from one of the vendors, I usually buy extra for the mutts too.

I've noticed a lot more cats in the area when I was there last time (in Dec).

All of the soi dogs I've come across seem to have the same traits, look at them sternly and they scamper away, tail between their legs. Treat them nice and their tails will be wagging just like any pet dog back home.

Oh yeah, the BG's think I'm a great guy when they see me do this (that's not why I do it though, but it doesn't hurt )

[Doctor John]

They are carriers of filth and disease, a public menace!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

For a minute I thought you were referring to some of the visitors to Thailand.

Scouse.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Don't get me started Scouser...............................

[Kiwi_James]

Once a week we have the dog catchers from Sakonnakhon come around to collect unwanted dogs.

You see the black buckets on the top of the pickup..... well.. they will swap a bucket for a dog.

And what happens when they get back to Sakonnakhon?????

I won't tell you it will put you off your lunch.

[Thaiboxer]

You leave my restaurant out of this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just make sure you scrape all the fleas off outside before skinning them in the kitchen...I wouldn't want to get bitten while eating my khao pad maa'

[aletta]

The local Vietnamese are partial to a dog or two.Very sad.

[Thaiboxer]

Dogs (particularly puppies) are eaten quite often by the Chinese and Laotians. An old coworker of mine did a visa run to Vientiane (spelling?) and saw a Lao lady preparing a puppy for the BBQ. It was quite a shock for him since us Westerners tend to love our dogs. With such an abundance of soi dogs in Bangkok, I'm surprised the bookstores don't offer the infamous "Road Kill Cookbook" for those of us who drive.

[toastwars]

They are carriers of filth and disease, a public menace!!

Their ok in general, they bark for effect at night but are good natured hounds.

The effect they have on me is wishing I had high powered Hunting rifle

[DJ Pat]

preparing a puppy for the BBQ.

I can't picture anything more foul.

[lampard10]

To get back on a lighter note, just before Xmas I found a puppy outside the Pub sheltering from the cold in a hole it had dug. Probably about a week old. I took it round the back, where me and the staff disenfected it, washed it and tried to feed it. We left it to sleep in a box we had conjoured up. Her new home. About an hour later, one of the staff called me, with a big broad grin on her face.

There in the box was not one, but two identical pups. Where the other one had come from was anyones guess. I'll leave it to your imagination. The Dalmation Bitch from next door dropped by to have a butchers, and my two new friends immediately picked a nipple each and fastened themselves on them, sucking vigourously.

Well they're quite big now, and as we have two Rottweilers, a Cocker Spaniel and a Golden Retriever,as well as our cat from England and another cat, decided to leave them at the Pub. Unfortuntely a couple of days ago one of them got sick with a gastric problem. My wife and I have just spent the last two nights nursing her at home,where, believe it or not the dog has been on a drip at nights. I knew in Thailand that if any human suffers from any ailment from a headache to an ingrowing toenail, they are straight on a drip, but not animals as well. The outcome of this is now 'Lucky' ( yeah you gotta believe it) is on the road to recovery. Cost a packet,( about 90 Changs) but if she pulls through ,well worth it.

[Thaiboxer]

I can't picture anything more foul.

Yeah, BBQ'd puppies would put off most people....maybe BBQ'd cat would be better

we have two Rottweilers, a Cocker Spaniel and a Golden

Are the Rottweilers pretty friendly? Most of the ones I've seen look like short haired grizzly bears and would probably chew your legs off if given the chance. Cocker Spaniels are cute, friendly and make great family pets. In my home country (USA) Goldens are somewhat of an issue now due to overbreeding...now the gene pool isn't squeaky clean and there are more and more incidents of the once docile Goldens biting people, being high strung or just being too passive to be effective watchdogs. I think the only way to avoid this problem now is to only buy from the most qualified breeders who have good bloodlines to choose from...otherwise it's hit or miss.

[Thaiboxer]

There are some agencies which specialize in the adoption of soi dogs to good homes. I believe one of these places is just around the corner from our moobaan. Trouble is, as with certain breeds like Goldens, it's tough to determine what you're getting. Life on the street has probably made most of those soi dogs a bit crazy and you could be taking a big chance by brining one of those things home. We have a female mixed breed (part Thai, part something else) medium sized dog that once lived on the street. Luckily, she's pretty friendly but she can be a bit jumpy...literally leaping up to her feet from laying down on her side just by somebody brushing against her. We think her previous owner(s) beat her. Other than her being easily startled, she's a great dog.

[lampard10]

I can't picture anything more foul.

Yeah, BBQ'd puppies would put off most people....maybe BBQ'd cat would be better

we have two Rottweilers, a Cocker Spaniel and a Golden

Are the Rottweilers pretty friendly?

Both ours are really friendly. In fact Rottweilers are one of the more natural placid breeds,it's just training and/or bad handling that turns them into monsters. The main trouble is that a Rottweiler will do anything for his/her master, including kill.

[sriracha john]

I neither work nor live in a "tourist area".  The charming mongrels around here are well looked after.  They've all got collars, names, and a steady source of food and water.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

And in a perfect example of the balance of Nature, most of the mutts I seem to encounter are ill-tempered, collar-less, name-less, and unfed and uncared for, creating a public health concern as well a personal safety issue.

[madmadang]

I still cannot believe that the locals will stick a dog in the pot.

[Thaiboxer]

I still cannot believe that the locals will stick a dog in the pot.

Who knows how many of them do this...street vendors have been busted for serving dog meat to unsuspecting consumers and in one Issan province, eating dogs is fairly commonplace. Despite these facts, it doesn't seem that a large number of people eat dogs...particularly in Bangkok. If a lot of people ate dogs there wouldn't be all that howling at night!

Both ours are really friendly. In fact Rottweilers are one of the more natural placid breeds,it's just training and/or bad handling that turns them into monsters. The main trouble is that a Rottweiler will do anything for his/her master, including kill.

Same goes for pitbulls...an old coworker of mine in Florida had two (actually one was a pitbull/lab mix) and they were very friendly. Statistics for dog attacks, many of which are fatal, tend to point to breeds such as Pitbulls, Rottweilers, German Shepards, Bull Terriers, etc, however these same breeds are often said to be kind to children and loyal to family members provided they are well-trained and handled by experienced dog owners. For less experienced dog owners, a Cocker Spaniel would no doubt be a better choice.

[Thaiboxer]

Still can't figure out thise quote option...half my post ends up within the white box

[DJ Pat]

I remember the story of two British tourists who had a dog follow them about in Samui, so they took it back to the UK and it was in quarantined for ..........................................................

18 months.