A success story of adoption in Krabi, Thailand
With the amount of strays and abandoned pups that we deal with on a regular basis we don't often have time to celebrate with a large amount of adoptions. About 3 years ago the import regulations in the United States changed to make it almost impossible for us to ship off dogs to that country and that was a huge hit for us. I don't understand the rules or why they changed but it had something to do with rabies and now getting an adopted animal into USA is so difficult that most people are not willing to take it on. It is also extremely expensive if you are lucky enough to be able to pull it off.
USA was our largest "market" for adoptions so that was a sad day. For the most part it is not so easy for us to find forever homes for the strays that we encounter here in Krabi and this is part of the reason why we have a rather stand-off approach to any strays that we encounter. It's not that we don't care, it is quite the opposite, it is just that our kennels are already overflowing and we definitely do not have the ability to house any more dogs than we already do. I have 4 dogs of my own already and most of our volunteers are in the same boat.
Every now and then though we get an adoption and we always love when this happens. "Ninna" was abandoned at a temple along with her brothers and sisters and although they all didn't find homes, Ninna did and it is at a home with a garden and another friendly dog already living there.
For people like me and I think most folks out there, it is impossible to think of simply walking away and abandoning a creature like this, but that is exactly what happened.
As is the case with all of the dumped dogs we encounter or are made aware of, we tend to their medical needs and take photographs and put the word out that they are available for adoption. Ninna was visited by a couple and we drove them out to meet her. They spent the day together and it didn't take long before the couple decided that they would adopt Ninna.
There is a vetting process that is done on our part as well. We try to be polite about it but we ask about their home life, their house, their rental or ownership status, and if they are foreigners we need to know that they have the financial means to transport the dog to their home country should they need to leave. This is not meant as an inquest but one of the worst things that can happen is for someone to take on an abandoned dog only to abandon them again. Ninna lived outdoors on a plantation and it was the only life she ever knew. After a dog gets a house and a bed and a private yard, returning to the homeless life can be extremely traumatizing and it is something we work very hard to prevent.
Basically, just because someone thinks they want to help with a stray doesn't mean we are just going to let them. You have to "pass the test" so to speak.
Fortunately for Ninna, the couple that wanted to adopt her are in a fantastic position to do so and nothing says "I can handle this" quite like already having a dog in middle age that is well looked after and content.
The next step is just making sure that the existing dog is ready and willing to take on a younger sister. We could tell right away that these two were a match as they started to play right away. There is a brief probationary period where we check back in on the animal before we sign ownership over but honestly, it couldn't have possibly gone better.
Ninna has an outstanding home now and is going to have a wonderful life. It's shame that her brothers and sisters are not in the same situation, but we keep our fingers crossed that others will come along and take on this responsibility as well.
At any point in time there are hundreds of dogs available for adoption in Krabi and worldwide this number has to be in the multiple millions. If you are dog lover I strongly encourage you to never buy dogs, but instead to adopt. It might surprise you how many pure-breed dogs there are at shelters all around the world and as someone who has had many dogs in his life and has 4 of them now, I speak from experience when I say that mixed breed dogs often have a really good chance to actually be easier to raise than their pure-bred counterparts.
We are just delighted that Ninna has a happy story now, and while they wished to remain anonymous, we are very grateful for her adopting family.
If you would like to see how you can help out or simply spread the word, please visit our website at
http://krabianimalwelfare.org
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