(TH) Horror in Thailand's Dog Shelter

[Guest guest]

aapn , " Ning Nunt " <theprisonwebuilt

wrote:

>

> Dear Friends:

> Once again we are taking a stand against the horror the dogs

of

> Thailand must suffer each day they are in the shelter that was set

up under

> the patronage of His Royal Majesty the King of Thailand.

> See: http://www.canadianvoiceforanimals.org/ThailandShelter.html

> We have set up a sample letter that can be sent via snail

mail to His

> Majesty...Please help us to get some justice for these poor

animals. It will

> only cost you the price of postage.

> Kindest regards,

> Earle

>

>

> --

> " The only real failure in life is not to be true to the best one

knows. "

> -Buddha

>

> ~~

> Ning's Space: www.myspace.com/theprisonwebuilt

 

 

Hua Hin Dog Rescue Center (HHDRC) are writing to condemn the website

and letters of protest being sent to His Majesty the King of

Thailand regarding the Hua Hin Dog Shelter.

The protest that has been arranged shows no understanding of the

respect Thais and Westerners alike have for King Bhumiphol; is

Canadian Voice for Animals aware of just how insulting the letter on

its website addressed to the King is to Thailand's greatly loved

King Bhumiphol?

HHDRC is made up of Thais and Europeans who have invested 5 years of

hard work into rescuing, caring for and sheltering the dogs of Hua

Hin, HHDRC have worked to build positive relationships with the

authorities in HH and have established a good working relationship

been given land by the authorities to shelter our dogs on, at

present we have 140 dogs there and we have saved over 300 dogs,

rehoming many of them in the last 5 years. As anyone working in

animal welfare knows and understands, positive relationships with

the authorities are never simple, easy or even waterproof.

However, HHDRC is trying to help the dogs of Hua Hin and we are

shocked that you did not contact us prior to launching this

protest.

Websites and letters such as the ones that have been displayed by

activists in Germany and Canada are not constructive to our work and

we need to state clearly that HHDRC was never involved in the

making, producing or executing of these protests. The insults to

the King are not acceptable to us, nor in Thailand, and so campaigns

of this type are not helping us, if we had been consulted prior to

this we would have explained this.

Coupled with the fact that there are many inaccuracies within the

Canadian website reporting regarding the dogs in the Dog Shelter

(separate to HHDRC); eg the red mark (explained as a " wound " ) on

the dogs head is paint, made by the staff at the Dog Shelter to ID

the dogs previously vaccinated.

The action that has been taken is detrimental and we ask you to stop

the campaign and stop letters being sent to the King of Thailand. An

apology on the website to His Majesty the King of Thailand would be

appropriate.

Hua Hin Dog Rescue Center cannot condemn strongly enough the letter

to King Bumiphol and any references made to His Majesty on your

website.

 

If you wish to help, please contact organisations on the ground in

Thailand, they will be able to advise you of what work they do, and

what help they need. Thank you. Please email me to get contact

details of some of these orgs.

 

Sent by Hua Hin Dog Rescue Center.

14 June 2007

 

 

 

>

[Guest guest]

>Once again we are taking a stand against the horror the dogs

>of Thailand must suffer each day they are in the shelter that was set

>up under the patronage of His Royal Majesty the King of Thailand.

 

 

My own impression, viewing the photographs that allegedly

showed problems at the shelter, was that they merely showed the

condition of street dogs as they normally look in a place with

endemic mange, when recently removed from the street.

 

Visitors to shelters anywhere should realize, first of all,

that the animals seldom arrive because they are perfectly healthy and

perfectly normal. They arrive because they have problems. In hot

climates, especially, one of the most common problems is mange.

 

A street dog who looks healthy will usually be left alone. A

dog with manage will be viewed as diseased, and will be killed or

taken to a shelter.

 

At a well-managed shelter, mangy dogs will recover. There

is a former Thai street dog at my feet right now who two years ago

was so mangy that she looked like a reptile. She now has a dense

shaggy coat all over her body. No one who met her now would ever

imagine that she had ever suffered from mange.

 

But recovery takes time--often more than a year. Shelter

visitors should inquire about treatment protocols before jumping to

the conclusion that a dog of mangy appearance is still actively

suffering. Often that dog is well past active infestation, and is

merely in the long process of regrowing fur.

 

Ribs showing on a dog can also easily be misread. Often this

appearance in a street dog results not from lack of food, but from

worm infestation. Once treated, the dog will recover--but the

treatment and recovery can take weeks. Again, it is necessary to

inquire about treatment protocols before jumping to the conclusion

that such a dog is neglected or suffering.

 

I have certainly seen many shelters that were mere

concentration camps for dogs and cats, whose directors are worthy of

a long stretch in similar conditions. However, in the overwhelming

majority of cases, the allegations I hear from casual visitors (and

sometimes from vindictive former help, typically fired for serious

cause) tend to be nonsense, resulting from insufficient familiarity

with the realities of shelter work.

 

The photos I saw of the Hua Hin Dog Rescue Center didn't show

me anything to worry about. Certainly improvements could be made.

Two days ago I visited one of the few shelters ever to score 100 on

my 100-point scoring scale, and saw two things there that could be

improved. I have not seen a perfect shelter yet.

 

But there are signs of mismanagement and neglect that might

have appeared in the photos if the Hua Hin Dog Rescue Center really

was mismanaged and neglected, and the photos did not show them.

 

 

 

--

Merritt Clifton

Editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE

P.O. Box 960

Clinton, WA 98236

 

Telephone: 360-579-2505

Fax: 360-579-2575

E-mail: anmlpepl

Web: www.animalpeoplenews.org

 

[ANIMAL PEOPLE is the leading independent newspaper providing

original investigative coverage of animal protection worldwide,

founded in 1992. Our readership of 30,000-plus includes the

decision-makers at more than 10,000 animal protection organizations.

We have no alignment or affiliation with any other entity. $24/year;

for free sample, send address.]

[Guest guest]

Merritt's observation is very valid.

 

-

Merritt Clifton <anmlpepl

Saturday, June 16, 2007 12:59 pm

Re: (TH) Horror in Thailand's Dog Shelter

aapn

 

> >Once again we are taking a stand against the horror the dogs

> >of Thailand must suffer each day they are in the shelter that was set

> >up under the patronage of His Royal Majesty the King of Thailand.

>

>

> My own impression, viewing the photographs that allegedly

> showed problems at the shelter, was that they merely showed the

> condition of street dogs as they normally look in a place with

> endemic mange, when recently removed from the street.

>

> Visitors to shelters anywhere should realize, first of all,

> that the animals seldom arrive because they are perfectly healthy

> and

> perfectly normal. They arrive because they have problems. In hot

> climates, especially, one of the most common problems is mange.

>

> A street dog who looks healthy will usually be left alone. A

> dog with manage will be viewed as diseased, and will be killed or

> taken to a shelter.

>

> At a well-managed shelter, mangy dogs will recover. There

> is a former Thai street dog at my feet right now who two years ago

> was so mangy that she looked like a reptile. She now has a dense

> shaggy coat all over her body. No one who met her now would ever

> imagine that she had ever suffered from mange.

>

> But recovery takes time--often more than a year. Shelter

> visitors should inquire about treatment protocols before jumping

> to

> the conclusion that a dog of mangy appearance is still actively

> suffering. Often that dog is well past active infestation, and

> is

> merely in the long process of regrowing fur.

>

> Ribs showing on a dog can also easily be misread. Often this

> appearance in a street dog results not from lack of food, but

> from

> worm infestation. Once treated, the dog will recover--but the

> treatment and recovery can take weeks. Again, it is necessary to

> inquire about treatment protocols before jumping to the conclusion

> that such a dog is neglected or suffering.

>

> I have certainly seen many shelters that were mere

> concentration camps for dogs and cats, whose directors are worthy

> of

> a long stretch in similar conditions. However, in the

> overwhelming

> majority of cases, the allegations I hear from casual visitors

> (and

> sometimes from vindictive former help, typically fired for

> serious

> cause) tend to be nonsense, resulting from insufficient

> familiarity

> with the realities of shelter work.

>

> The photos I saw of the Hua Hin Dog Rescue Center didn't show

> me anything to worry about. Certainly improvements could be made.

> Two days ago I visited one of the few shelters ever to score 100

> on

> my 100-point scoring scale, and saw two things there that could

> be

> improved. I have not seen a perfect shelter yet.

>

> But there are signs of mismanagement and neglect that might

> have appeared in the photos if the Hua Hin Dog Rescue Center

> really

> was mismanaged and neglected, and the photos did not show them.

>

>

>

> --

> Merritt Clifton

> Editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE

> P.O. Box 960

> Clinton, WA 98236

>

> Telephone: 360-579-2505

> Fax: 360-579-2575

> E-mail: anmlpepl

> Web: www.animalpeoplenews.org

>

> [ANIMAL PEOPLE is the leading independent newspaper providing

> original investigative coverage of animal protection worldwide,

> founded in 1992. Our readership of 30,000-plus includes the

> decision-makers at more than 10,000 animal protection

> organizations.

> We have no alignment or affiliation with any other entity.

> $24/year;

> for free sample, send address.]

>