Phuket dog shelter to be renovated to tackle street dog problems

[rooster59]

Phuket dog shelter to be renovated to tackle street dog problems 

The Phuket News

 

Phuket Vice Governor Snith Sriwihok (right) and Surajit Witchuwan of the Phuket Provincial Livestock Office. Photo: PR Dept
 

PHUKET: As part of government officials’ ongoing “Keep Phuket Clean by our Hand and Heart” campaign, it has been suggested that the Phuket Stray Dog Shelter undergo renovations in a bid to tackle the island’s street dog problem.

 

The announcement came on Thursday (May 4) when Phuket Vice Governor Snith Sriwihok together with Surajit Witchuwan of the Phuket Provincial Livestock Office joined a meeting to discuss the island’s homeless dogs and pet control at Phuket Provincial Office in Phuket Town.
 

V/Gov Snith said, “Phuket must keep going with its Keep Phuket Clean by our Hand and Heart campaign, the aim of which is to make people show more concern for the island’s cleanliness, and it is important that everyone on the island pays attention to it.

 

“In order to tackle more issues within this campaign we have to make plans to tackle the issue of street dogs and other animal control,” he said.

Full story: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-dog-shelter-to-be-renovated-to-tackle-street-dog-problems-62079.php#CyTuFVImboIMPVrc.97

 

 

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2017-05-07

[hugh2121]

Why don't more major towns have stray dog shelters?

[LivinginKata]

14 minutes ago, hugh2121 said:

Why don't more major towns have stray dog shelters?

 

Costs money to build and run. Trouble is that there is no profit to be made.  

 

Here in Phuket there is a private stray dog shelter but not near Phuket Town, and it's usually full up and cannot take any more strays until space becomes available.. 

Edited May 7, 2017 by LivinginKata

[sanukjim]

Why not let Koreans run the stray dog centers in Thailand.That way instead of costing the cities and towns money it would actually make money.Oh yea the purchase  of some bar-B-Q pits would be the only initial cost..

[jippytum]

Pattaya did have a stray dog center sponsored by Tony .The place was soon overrun .Unless there is a program of sterilization  the numbers will   inundate the charity centers whatever the location.

[Godang]

1 hour ago, sanukjim said:

Why not let Koreans run the stray dog centers in Thailand.That way instead of costing the cities and towns money it would actually make money.Oh yea the purchase  of some bar-B-Q pits would be the only initial cost..

Vietnam and China can help as well.

[fstarbkk]

Shelters are not the answer to stray dog overpopulation. Dogs can out-breed any community's ability to build and maintain the necessary space to contain the exploding birth-rate.The same is true for culling, as has been proven many times in places where the government has "kill-squads". 

 

The only proven, economically feasible, method are systematic and sustained sterilization campaigns. The world health organization and other studies keep proving that the "return on investment" of spay-neuter campaigns is far superior to any other approach.

 

Yet, governments keep wringing their hands and, once in a while, waste some millions on a shelter which will be overwhelmed by the time it opens its doors. As a result, shelters like that in Phuket wind up being neither humane, nor effective. Referring to the conditions of the current government shelter as "not good", is like saying that Auschwitz was not conducive to the health of its inmates.

 

 

Edited May 7, 2017 by fstarbkk

[anon4637435435]

Only solution is to sack the entire police force and start again with enthusiastic, motivated police that will use the law for the good of the people. 

Its against the law for owners of dogs to run around without the owners present.

The dogs should be gotten rid of. Im a dog lover but this is a disgrace. How any hiso can act smug in a country that lets mans best friend live with manageable viruses, diseases, inbreeding genetic issues, etc is beyond me.

I own 3dogs now but have had several in thailand. I just lost a geman shephard puppy to the parvo virus and another survived as i didn't leave its side for 7days straight. All my dogs are vaccinated and the big property is fenced in and all precautions were taken but it didnnt stop stupid selfish idiot neighbours who dont even feed there dogs and instead let the monks feed it with the food people give them coming to poop on my fence line therefore spreading the disease. We live in the middle of nowhere and dogs really shouldn't be roaming here. They have plenty ofland at there own places to live.

Thais respose is. This is what thais do! Tha makes it ok. Disregard for the laws and people no matter who they are.

Shame.....

[anon4637435435]

Forgot add to the post that about 8years ago due to racism were forced to leave phuket with violence and threats on a daily basis and prepared to leave the country. The circumstances didnt allow us to take our golden retriever. We tried to leave it at the shelter because no one was interested. Neither were they. 

We were forced to leave it with family and it died soon after. With in a month it was hairless. Over run with ticks and mange amoung other things. 

Just heartbreaking! A very expensive well looked after dog ended up on the streets eating neighbours food and such. Had i known what would happen things would have been different.

[LivinginKata]

1 hour ago, fstarbkk said:

Shelters are not the answer to stray dog overpopulation. Dogs can out-breed any community's ability to build and maintain the necessary space to contain the exploding birth-rate.The same is true for culling, as has been proven many times in places where the government has "kill-squads". 

 

The only proven, economically feasible, method are systematic and sustained sterilization campaigns. The world health organization and other studies keep proving that the "return on investment" of spay-neuter campaigns is far superior to any other approach.

 

Yet, governments keep wringing their hands and, once in a while, waste some millions on a shelter which will be overwhelmed by the time it opens its doors. As a result, shelters like that in Phuket wind up being neither humane, nor effective. Referring to the conditions of the current government shelter as "not good", is like saying that Auschwitz was not conducive to the health of its inmates.

 

 

 

The privately run PAWS organisation would neuter dogs and cats for free. Even pick up and return for free. That is the answer .... 

[fstarbkk]

21 minutes ago, LivinginKata said:

 

The privately run PAWS organisation would neuter dogs and cats for free. Even pick up and return for free. That is the answer .... 

The initiatives by privately funded charities like PAWS and SDR are definitely making a difference and should be supported. But they usually lack the resources to achieve the bandwidth necessary to really get on top of the problem.

 

If the government joined the effort, either by funding the experienced NGO's or by creating their own spay/neuter brigades, the problem could be solved much more effectively. 

 

Another area where the government would be well positioned to help, are education campaigns in schools and to the general public, to promote responsible pet ownership, through neutering of owned dogs. Unsterilized pet dogs running free around their neighborhoods, account for a good portion of the strays being born.

[KarenBravo]

Sterilization has been in effect for over twenty years in Phuket and has made absolutely no difference to the number of stray dogs on this island. The fact is, these mutts breed faster than they can be sterilized, especially since the island population of human beings (along with abandoned pets) has probably tripled.

They need to go back to the way they did things in the past...........round-up and cull.

[fstarbkk]

53 minutes ago, KarenBravo said:

Sterilization has been in effect for over twenty years in Phuket and has made absolutely no difference to the number of stray dogs on this island. The fact is, these mutts breed faster than they can be sterilized, especially since the island population of human beings (along with abandoned pets) has probably tripled.

They need to go back to the way they did things in the past...........round-up and cull.

The assertion that the efforts of SDF, PAWS and others have "made absolutely no difference" is completely unfounded and untrue. I challenge you to cite any authoritative and objective data sources for this ridiculous claim.

 

There is plenty of data from around the world that mass sterilization campaigns are the only cost-effective solution if done consistently and on a large enough scale. Culling, on the other hand, has never been proven to be an effective long-term solution.

Edited May 7, 2017 by fstarbkk

[fasteddie]

The Soi Dog Foundation works on Phuket doing wonderful work, they need your donations.

[KarenBravo]

1 hour ago, fstarbkk said:

The assertion that the efforts of SDF, PAWS and others have "made absolutely no difference" is completely unfounded and untrue. I challenge you to cite any authoritative and objective data sources for this ridiculous claim.

 

There is plenty of data from around the world that mass sterilization campaigns are the only cost-effective solution if done consistently and on a large enough scale. Culling, on the other hand, has never been proven to be an effective long-term solution.

Yeah, yeah, yeah......heard it all before.

Should I believe all the crap I hear, or, my own eyes?

Been here a long time and there are far more stray dogs here than there were thirty years ago. I think anyone that has been here for a long time will agree with me.

 

As for sterilization and culling, I'll believe that both are ineffective over the long term. Culling because you say so and sterilization because of my own eyes.

There is only ONE effective long term solution. It's called education.

Not going to hold my breath waiting until that happens.

 

One thing that culling does that is much better than sterilization, it removes the source of bites and attacks, disease and potential traffic accidents.

 

Bring back the cull!

[ChakaKhan]

Put them on one of the empty islands down south and let them run wild

Kinda like the kitty island in japan--let the chinese pay to go feed them

and take selfies-as i watch them feed the flying rats aka pigeons here....

[NamKangMan]

44 minutes ago, KarenBravo said:

Yeah, yeah, yeah......heard it all before.

Should I believe all the crap I hear, or, my own eyes?

Been here a long time and there are far more stray dogs here than there were thirty years ago. I think anyone that has been here for a long time will agree with me.

 

As for sterilization and culling, I'll believe that both are ineffective over the long term. Culling because you say so and sterilization because of my own eyes.

There is only ONE effective long term solution. It's called education.

Not going to hold my breath waiting until that happens.

 

One thing that culling does that is much better than sterilization, it removes the source of bites and attacks, disease and potential traffic accidents.

 

Bring back the cull!

 

 

"Bring back the cull!" - you're in a Buddhist country, KB.   They could never introduce such a national, provincial, or local, policy.

 

I agree with LIK.  Sterilization is the answer. 

 

Sure, the barks and bites will be around for a generation of dogs, but would then become almost non-existent.  

 

Sterilizing only the males is the cheapest and easiest, whilst still keeping to Buddhist principles.

[fstarbkk]

1 hour ago, KarenBravo said:

Yeah, yeah, yeah......heard it all before.

Should I believe all the crap I hear, or, my own eyes?

Been here a long time and there are far more stray dogs here than there were thirty years ago. I think anyone that has been here for a long time will agree with me.

 

As for sterilization and culling, I'll believe that both are ineffective over the long term. Culling because you say so and sterilization because of my own eyes.

There is only ONE effective long term solution. It's called education.

Not going to hold my breath waiting until that happens.

 

One thing that culling does that is much better than sterilization, it removes the source of bites and attacks, disease and potential traffic accidents.

 

Bring back the cull!

I take it then that you have no factual proof for your assertion. Cool, got it!

[KarenBravo]

9 hours ago, NamKangMan said:

 

 

"Bring back the cull!" - you're in a Buddhist country, KB.   They could never introduce such a national, provincial, or local, policy.

 

I agree with LIK.  Sterilization is the answer. 

 

Sure, the barks and bites will be around for a generation of dogs, but would then become almost non-existent.  

 

Sterilizing only the males is the cheapest and easiest, whilst still keeping to Buddhist principles.

Buddhist country, yet, they are mainly meat eaters.

 

In the late 80's, stray dogs were culled every year in Patong. Weren't they a Buddhist country back then?

[Farang99]

21 hours ago, hugh2121 said:

Why don't more major towns have stray dog shelters?

And what would you suggest they do with the dogs they might round up? Sterilise them and find new homes for them as happens in the west? Or just kill them?

[KarenBravo]

Ever visited the Phuket dog-pound?

Dogs fighting over food, dog-crap everywhere. Absolutely no chance that anyone will adopt these semi-feral dogs.

Cull them all.....it's a lot kinder.

[dick dasterdly]

21 hours ago, fstarbkk said:

Shelters are not the answer to stray dog overpopulation. Dogs can out-breed any community's ability to build and maintain the necessary space to contain the exploding birth-rate.The same is true for culling, as has been proven many times in places where the government has "kill-squads". 

 

The only proven, economically feasible, method are systematic and sustained sterilization campaigns. The world health organization and other studies keep proving that the "return on investment" of spay-neuter campaigns is far superior to any other approach.

 

Yet, governments keep wringing their hands and, once in a while, waste some millions on a shelter which will be overwhelmed by the time it opens its doors. As a result, shelters like that in Phuket wind up being neither humane, nor effective. Referring to the conditions of the current government shelter as "not good", is like saying that Auschwitz was not conducive to the health of its inmates.

 

 

 

19 hours ago, fstarbkk said:

The initiatives by privately funded charities like PAWS and SDR are definitely making a difference and should be supported. But they usually lack the resources to achieve the bandwidth necessary to really get on top of the problem.

 

If the government joined the effort, either by funding the experienced NGO's or by creating their own spay/neuter brigades, the problem could be solved much more effectively. 

 

Another area where the government would be well positioned to help, are education campaigns in schools and to the general public, to promote responsible pet ownership, through neutering of owned dogs. Unsterilized pet dogs running free around their neighborhoods, account for a good portion of the strays being born.

Excellent posts.

 

As you point out systematic and sustained sterilization campaigns are by far the best (not to mention the most humane) solution.

 

The authorities should focus on financially backing Soi Dogs sterlisation campaigns (and/or start their own sterilsation campaigns)/help financially for PAWS and other vets to provide free sterlisation for both soi dogs and owned dogs/organise education campaigns in schools and for the general public.

Edited May 8, 2017 by dick dasterdly

[dick dasterdly]

3 hours ago, KarenBravo said:

Ever visited the Phuket dog-pound?

Dogs fighting over food, dog-crap everywhere. Absolutely no chance that anyone will adopt these semi-feral dogs.

Cull them all.....it's a lot kinder.

No, I haven't visited the Phuket dog-pound but have heard that conditions are appalling.

 

On the other hand, I have visited the Soi Dogs compound and the dogs there were kept humanely and they were lovely, friendly dogs.  Unfortunately, there will never be enough people looking to adopt these dogs which is Soi Dogs are unable to take every soi dog into their shelter, and so keep working on sterilisation efforts.

 

I'm not even going to address the 'kill them all, its a lot kinder' comment as my post would go on for far too long.....

[KarenBravo]

41 minutes ago, dick dasterdly said:

I'm not even going to address the 'kill them all, its a lot kinder' comment as my post would go on for far too long.....

Thank-you for sparing me. Have heard it all before.......

[fstarbkk]

4 hours ago, KarenBravo said:

Thank-you for sparing me. Have heard it all before.......

You seem to have an obsessive fixation on the killing of dogs, regardless of its actual merits.

 

The Yulin Dog Meat festival is about to be held again in China. Book your trip there now! This might be a great little holiday for you, to go enjoy the mass slaughter, and might bring you some emotional relief. 

Edited May 8, 2017 by fstarbkk

[KarenBravo]

Have already tried dog-meat in the Philippines 35 years ago.

Didn't like it......too fatty.

 

No obsession. Just an opinion that all stray dogs in Phuket should be culled (as they used to be) as the sterilization program has been a failure. If it wasn't how do you explain all the strays here? It's obvious that many people don't share that opinion, but, there are many that do (including Buddhist Thais). Go take a look at the dog pound; it may change your mind.

 

A government van used to come around a week before the cull handing out collars. If a dog wore the collar, even a soi dog, it was left alone when they came back and and captured all the dogs without collars. It worked well.

 

You do know that any dog in the UK will be killed if it bites anyone if not provoked. Not like here where they are never destroyed unless they kill someone.

Edited May 8, 2017 by KarenBravo

[jak2002003]

Wait, this can't be right, that there is a problem with street dogs in Phuket?

 

I remember reading a thread a few days ago in here when people were saying the spay and neuter operation was a great success in Phuket and Phuket dog control, welfare was the best in Thailand and was a leading example that the rest of the country should follow!!!!

 

These dog rescue people and dog care charities don't seem to make a dent in the street / feral dog population.  They would be better simply collecting the dogs and feeding them into a meat mincer. 

 

 

 

 

[KarenBravo]

2 minutes ago, jak2002003 said:

I remember reading a thread a few days ago in here when people were saying the spay and neuter operation was a great success in Phuket and Phuket dog control, welfare was the best in Thailand and was a leading example that the rest of the country should follow!!!!

 

 

There's couple of new-fangled sayings to explain that.

Alternative facts and fake news.

[fstarbkk]

58 minutes ago, KarenBravo said:

Have already tried dog-meat in the Philippines 35 years ago.

Didn't like it......too fatty.

 

No obsession. Just an opinion that all stray dogs in Phuket should be culled (as they used to be) as the sterilization program has been a failure. If it wasn't how do you explain all the strays here? It's obvious that many people don't share that opinion, but, there are many that do (including Buddhist Thais). Go take a look at the dog pound; it may change your mind.

 

A government van used to come around a week before the cull handing out collars. If a dog wore the collar, even a soi dog, it was left alone when they came back and and captured all the dogs without collars. It worked well.

 

You do know that any dog in the UK will be killed if it bites anyone if not provoked. Not like here where they are never destroyed unless they kill someone.

There you go again, wallowing in your fantasy of wholesale dog slaughter!

 

As for opinions vs. data and facts, one of my early mentors, the late great Ken Reali, used to say, "Opinions are like a**holes; EVERYBODY's got one!"

[KarenBravo]

14 minutes ago, fstarbkk said:

There you go again, wallowing in your fantasy of wholesale dog slaughter!

 

As for opinions vs. data and facts, one of my early mentors, the late great Ken Reali, used to say, "Opinions are like a**holes; EVERYBODY's got one!"

Yes, including you (hardly an original saying).

Please show me your data on the effectiveness of the neutering program on Phuket.

I do realise that it does work, but, only if the size of the operation is commensurate with the size of the target location.

If Phuket had another hundred organizations doing the neutering here in Phuket, then I have no doubt that the effort to rid the streets of stray dogs would work.

As there are only two organizations doing it here, it is self-evidently just a drop in the ocean and the end result is negligible.

I'll be interested to see your Phuket based facts.....

 

As the late great Cuthbert Mucklebum used to say, "put up, or shut-up".

Edited May 8, 2017 by KarenBravo