Why doesn't Thailand do something about all the dogs?

[iamariva1957]

You should try going to Bali! There the dogs run in true packs and will follow you with that "I am hungry" look.

[simple1]

The suffering of these poor dogs is the resposibility of the local government.It is disgraceful and Thailand should be ashamed of itself.Also,can the monks,who are supposed to love animals,put some kind of pressure on local government.

If an animal is suffering it is better the local authorities "put it to sleep".This way it stops the suffering and stops the dogs breeding more dogs to suffer.

The latest version of the Animal Welfare Bill for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (increased penalties, defining responsibility for Thai agencies etc) has been passed, predicted to be enacted into law sometime in 2014. Nearly all Thai animal shelters are underfunded and insufficiently resourced with an estimated animal death rate of 70%. Naturally the ultimate responsibility resides with the Thai people.

[wilcopops]

The suffering of these poor dogs is the resposibility of the local government.It is disgraceful and Thailand should be ashamed of itself.Also,can the monks,who are supposed to love animals,put some kind of pressure on local government.

If an animal is suffering it is better the local authorities "put it to sleep".This way it stops the suffering and stops the dogs breeding more dogs to suffer.

The latest version of the Animal Welfare Bill for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (increased penalties, defining responsibility for Thai agencies etc) has been passed, predicted to be enacted into law sometime in 2014. Nearly all Thai animal shelters are underfunded and insufficiently resourced with an estimated animal death rate of 70%. Naturally the ultimate responsibility resides with the Thai people.

" Animal Welfare Bill for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (increased penalties, defining responsibility for Thai agencies etc)" - Thailand has a plethora of legislation on all sorts of things - unfortunately experience tells us that this means virtually nothing. you ca legislate all you want but if there is no money will or infrastructure to back it back it won't make a ha'p'orth of difference

All i can see coming out of this is the closure of a lot of well-meaning animals sanctuaries that either have insufficient funds or don't pay their tea-money

Edited November 17, 2013 by wilcopops

[unanimosity]

Bars would be pretty empty without 'em.

[boone57]

Surprising not one person has mentioned Thailand is a Buddhist country .....

Damit! I wanted to be the first to point that out.

[wilcopops]

Surprising not one person has mentioned Thailand is a Buddhist country .....

Damit! I wanted to be the first to point that out.

Am I missinig something here?

[wilcopops]

Surprising not one person has mentioned Thailand is a Buddhist country .....

Damit! I wanted to be the first to point that out.

Am I missinig something here?

[Travel2003]

Surprising not one person has mentioned Thailand is a Buddhist country .....

Well, maybe because we who live here kind of already know that, and do not need to remind us about it.

I know, that was a silly one.

[thailiketoo]

Surprising not one person has mentioned Thailand is a Buddhist country .....

Well, maybe because we who live here kind of already know that, and do not need to remind us about it.

I know, that was a silly one.

Some Wats take care of dogs others kill them. Depends on the head Monk I guess.

[kirk0233]

Surprising not one person has mentioned Thailand is a Buddhist country .....

What possible difference does this make? Thais are Buddhist in name only. The government requires it. It is part of the Thainess needed for citizenship and acceptance.

[Travel2003]

Surprising not one person has mentioned Thailand is a Buddhist country .....

Damit! I wanted to be the first to point that out.

Am I missinig something here?

Just want to make sure you know it.

[kirk0233]

The suffering of these poor dogs is the resposibility of the local government.It is disgraceful and Thailand should be ashamed of itself.Also,can the monks,who are supposed to love animals,put some kind of pressure on local government.

If an animal is suffering it is better the local authorities "put it to sleep".This way it stops the suffering and stops the dogs breeding more dogs to suffer.

I am not sure monks love animals. I saw some this weekend at a temple ceremony who loved cigarettes and watching soaps on the tv. The animal cruelty in this country should be extremely disturbing to any truly religious person who sees humans as caretakers of the world; but the monks cannot even be bothered to attend to their principal task of providing spiritual guidance, so how can they possiby help dogs?

[jdinasia]

Surprising not one person has mentioned Thailand is a Buddhist country .....

Damit! I wanted to be the first to point that out.

Am I missinig something here?

Just want to make sure you know it.

Thailand is a country that is mostly Buddhist, however it is not a Buddhist country. There is no state religion.

Buddhism does not require that one take care of animals. It does suggest not killing animals though. Which might explain the large number of soi dogs, feral cats etc.

For those suggesting it is the job of monks to do this. It isn't. In fact Kirk is off base on what he describes as the "principal task" of monks.

[recom273]

How about local Farangs and business's in the neighborhoods, putting together donation drives, to pay to spay and neuter the neighborhood soi dogs. I know I would donate. Must have 10 new pups being born on this soi every few months.

Same here, over the 5 years living in my soi, we now have 8 females pump out litters of 10 pups a time.

I suggested that we had a whip round and get them neutered, a few houses ran for their wallets to donate, but a few responsded that such an act was 'bap' or 'evil'. I questioned was it evil to deny the creatures enough food to survive ? was it evil to let them suffer with an infestation of ticks ? those people decided our intention was evil cant even stick a bowl of water out in the dry season .. of course, it didnt compute and the cycle will continue.

[maximillian]

Let's spread the rumours that dog meat is enhancing male potency...

[Benmart]

As sad as the dog situation is, there seems to be more pressing issues that face the Thai people. Here in Pattaya, the dogs run amok, in and out of traffic, snapping and fighting one another for mere existence. This moment, I sit here on my balcony, and watch a pathetic pooch hunkered down, outside the bar next door.

It is one of about 10 that call the bar home. They are fortunate in that the Thai owner and workers feed and provide shelter for them. I doubt that any sort of medical care is provided, as the dogs are in a very bad state.

My resources only allow me to donate to help humans. Never the less, my heart does go out to the dogs, particularly those in obvious distress from mange, tumors and other conditions.

[wilcopops]

Feeding the dogs is the WORST thing anyone can do. It doesn't alleviate their suffering in the long run - it prolongs it...BUT it allows them to procreate. People continuing this myopic "good deed" trust exacerbates the dog problem - they can only exist if there's food. If you cut off there various sources of food the problem will dwindle to insignificance.

Edited November 18, 2013 by wilcopops

[Water Buffalo]

I actually think they are fine. They are probably the nicest strays i have ever known. Especially compared to the rabid strays on Indonesia and the incredibly aggressive strays of everywhere else.

Often as humans, we seem to think we have a right to "do something about" this and that, just because we can. But actually, i don't think we have that right.

[wilcopops]

I actually think they are fine. They are probably the nicest strays i have ever known. Especially compared to the rabid strays on Indonesia and the incredibly aggressive strays of everywhere else.

Often as humans, we seem to think we have a right to "do something about" this and that, just because we can. But actually, i don't think we have that right.

Dogs - stays or otherwise are "domesticated" animals....they are the result of breeding dictated and organised by humans - if it wasn't for us they wouldn't be here - of course we have a responsibility to put an end to this ridiculous situation - we started it and we allow it to continue.

uncontrolled dog populations are a threat to public health, a threat to road safety, they are a threat to the environment and wildlife - this is OUR fault.

Edited November 18, 2013 by wilcopops

[fdbob]

Some people do something, but local solutions just don't work.

And no wounder that there non in Vietnam...it is an expensive food there.

. There aren't many dogs in Vietnam because they eat them.

[wilcopops]

Some people do something, but local solutions just don't work.

And no wounder that there non in Vietnam...it is an expensive food there.

. There aren't many dogs in Vietnam because they eat them.

I think this is a highly simplistic way to look at the problem. I've said before that I'd be really interested to see the figures for this hypothesis.

[Water Buffalo]

I actually think they are fine. They are probably the nicest strays i have ever known. Especially compared to the rabid strays on Indonesia and the incredibly aggressive strays of everywhere else.

Often as humans, we seem to think we have a right to "do something about" this and that, just because we can. But actually, i don't think we have that right.

Dogs - stays or otherwise are "domesticated" animals....they are the result of breeding dictated and organised by humans - if it wasn't for us they wouldn't be here - of course we have a responsibility to put an end to this ridiculous situation - we started it and we allow it to continue.

uncontrolled dog populations are a threat to public health, a threat to road safety, they are a threat to the environment and wildlife - this is OUR fault.

Just because we created them doesn't mean we have the right to kill them.

We've made our bed.......you know how the saying goes I'm sure.

And even if we didn't create the problem by breeding dogs, if any animal came to the cities and bothered us we would kill them anyway, so saying that we created the problem doesn't stand up.

Furthermore, this stuff about public health and road safety. Everything is threat to 'public health' - just being alive is a threat to our health. We do such crazy things based on our fear of losing our health and dying. And we think this irrational fear justifies whatever we do - like killing animals. And roads with cars on them are never gonna be safe (we created that problem, why blame some dogs for being alive?).

Dogs are a threat to the environment and wildlife? Let me tell you, we are the only threat there has ever been to the environment and wildlife.

Edited November 18, 2013 by Water Buffalo

[wilcopops]

I actually think they are fine. They are probably the nicest strays i have ever known. Especially compared to the rabid strays on Indonesia and the incredibly aggressive strays of everywhere else.

Often as humans, we seem to think we have a right to "do something about" this and that, just because we can. But actually, i don't think we have that right.

Dogs - stays or otherwise are "domesticated" animals....they are the result of breeding dictated and organised by humans - if it wasn't for us they wouldn't be here - of course we have a responsibility to put an end to this ridiculous situation - we started it and we allow it to continue.

uncontrolled dog populations are a threat to public health, a threat to road safety, they are a threat to the environment and wildlife - this is OUR fault.

Just because we created them doesn't mean we have the right to kill them.

We've made our bed.......you know how the saying goes I'm sure.

And even if we didn't create the problem by breeding dogs, if any animal came to the cities and bothered us we would kill them anyway, so saying that we created the problem doesn't stand up.

Furthermore, this stuff about public health and road safety. Everything is threat to 'public health' - just being alive is a threat to our health. We do such crazy things based on our fear of losing our health and dying. And we think this irrational fear justifies whatever we do - like killing animals. And roads with cars on them are never gonna be safe (we created that problem, why blame some dogs for being alive?).

Dogs are a threat to the environment and wildlife? Let me tell you, we are the only threat there has ever been to the environment and wildlife.

It's fairly clear you haven't really though much about this.

The result is you are being you ideas on one erroneous argument - they have a right to life - this has lead you to take a ridiculous, blinkered and dogmatic stance......

The dog problem is OUR responsibility - if you choose to avoid that it's up to you.

In my posts you'll not find anywhere a recommendation we kill them.

The problem is the environment they are in allows them to thrive and become a nuisance.

If we are intelligent about the problem we will make sure they can't thrive and - as I aid before - the problem will dwindle at least to manageable proportions.

I'd also be willing to bet that if the dogs were replaced one for one by snakes you wouldn't have the same attitude.

Edited November 18, 2013 by wilcopops

[Keesters]

the stray dogs in Thailand don't bother anyone

WRONG, they bother the OP, me and plenty of others as well. hence this thread and many others like it.

Why do they bother me: because they don't like me (a responsible dog owner) taking my dog for a walk over/past what they consider their territory.

IMO first step would be to legislate, country-wide) that all owned dogs are kept off public land unless on a short leash (it's supposed to be like that in Bangkok, but I'm told there are still plenty of strays). These 'pets on the loose' are the worst IMO and form a large proportion of the untethered dogs on public land.

[wilcopops]

Thailand passed a law forbidding people from "eating" dogs in 1971, or thereabouts. Yes, the dogs are flea invested and dirty, etc., as you say. However, most of the Thai dogs are non-aggressive (even in packs), for the most part, and avoid conflicts with people.

They still eat dogs in Vietnam, Cambodia and especially in the Philippines. Maybe that's the reason you don't see so many stray dog in those countries.

Again, the stray dogs in Thailand don't bother anyone, so why not just ignore the quirks of Thai culture, and enjoy the rest of it. As John Lennon said, "Let It Be". If you can't do that much, then rest assured, you are not being held hostage in Thailand. You are free to leave, whenever the mood suits you. Capiche?

"Again, the stray dogs in Thailand don't bother anyone" - absolute tosh!

Just the plethora of threads on this site alone is enough to put that concept in the bin.

i work with literally hundreds of Thai people and a vast number of them (I'd say a majority) who either fear the dogs or just feel they are a dirty presence on the streets and would like to see them go. They are in short ashamed of the situation.

[thailiketoo]

I have a Thai dog. She is smart, loyal and has saved my family on numerous occasions from problems large and small. She has no fear of deadly snakes, scorpions, peeping toms. And for some obscure reason I have not been able to figure out, she hates hookers and Monks. She acts like she wants to kill them. So no hookers or Monks come to visit us.

Edited November 18, 2013 by thailiketoo

[Travel2003]

I have a Thai dog. She is smart, loyal and has saved my family on numerous occasions from problems large and small. She has no fear of deadly snakes, scorpions, peeping toms. And for some obscure reason I have not been able to figure out, she hates hookers and Monks. She acts like she wants to kill them. So no hookers or Monks come to visit us.

Maybe she has a reason to be jealous at the hookers?

[wilcopops]

I have a Thai dog. She is smart, loyal and has saved my family on numerous occasions from problems large and small. She has no fear of deadly snakes, scorpions, peeping toms. And for some obscure reason I have not been able to figure out, she hates hookers and Monks. She acts like she wants to kill them. So no hookers or Monks come to visit us.

So you have a badly trained dog with no sense of self-preservation?

I’d say that most dogs in Thailand would be regarded Thai dogs.

I'd also shy clear of excessive anthropomorphism when trying to assess the behaviour of any animal.

Apart from strays there is nothing more annoying than some “house dog” with excessive territorial notions that runs out and barks incessantly at anyone passing near their house. I was even bitten once by a pedigree hotel owned dog, which the owner obviously had no idea how to train.

As for stating you have a dog - I can’t really see it’s relevance to this thread apart from the fact it too appears to be a nuisance to passers- by.

[thailiketoo]

I have a Thai dog. She is smart, loyal and has saved my family on numerous occasions from problems large and small. She has no fear of deadly snakes, scorpions, peeping toms. And for some obscure reason I have not been able to figure out, she hates hookers and Monks. She acts like she wants to kill them. So no hookers or Monks come to visit us.

Maybe she has a reason to be jealous at the hookers?

If that is a reference to bestiality it went right over my head. Hookers never get within 10 feet of my house. The dog starts barking and if she is asleep my wife gives them that stare.

[wilcopops]

I have a Thai dog. She is smart, loyal and has saved my family on numerous occasions from problems large and small. She has no fear of deadly snakes, scorpions, peeping toms. And for some obscure reason I have not been able to figure out, she hates hookers and Monks. She acts like she wants to kill them. So no hookers or Monks come to visit us.

I'd love to know how you (and your dog) define and identify a hooker.