(Thailand/Can) Earle Bingley - West Van Man Rescues Asian Dogs

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West Van Man Rescues Asian Dogs

 

 

 

Wed, April 23 2008

 

By Lucy-Claire Saunders

 

NamfaceEarle Bingley has worked for months to sponsor Nam. At only five

years old, the Thai orphan has been beaten, abused and thrown away like a

piece of garbage. But next month, Nam will make the journey halfway around

the world to her new home in West Vancouver.

 

But Nam is not a child. She is a dog, and like many dogs in Thailand, she

has found life on the streets to be cruel.

 

" Nam had boiling oil poured over her when she was puppy by a vendor in the

street, " said Bingley. " She's healthy now but her ears are really bad and

she has scars all over her body. A lot of her fur is ingrown. "

 

Bingley, 74, is the founder of Canadian Voices for Animals, a non-profit

dedicated to helping abused animals by finding them homes and lobbying

governments to create legislation protecting the four-legged companions. He

is Nam's only hope.

 

A few months ago, Bingley received an e-mail from a German veterinarian

about an unsanitary and degrading animal shelter in Hua Hin, Thailand, where

Nam was staying.

 

Not 30 minutes later, Bingley initiated a mass campaign condemning the

inhumane treatment at the shelter.

 

It turned out the e-mail sent by the German vet misidentified the shelter.

But the damage was already done and Bingley had to write a formal letter of

apology to King Bhumibol Adulyadej explaining his mistake.

 

But it was too late. The city council of Hua Hin decided the shelter would

be downsized and the city official in charge of animal services at the

shelter, Dawn Poon, would be axed. Bingley's campaign had ignited

unfavourable press coverage and public outrage.

 

" The city council is getting rid of her because of all the fuss I made, "

said Bingley. " They want her gone and the space (in the shelter) she's in

charge of to build coffee shops and stores for a tourist attraction, instead

of taking care of the animals properly. "

 

In an effort to right his wrong, Bingley has partnered with Poon to find the

remaining dogs permanent homes. And just to completely distance themselves

from the Hua Hin city council, they have taken it upon themselves to rename

the shelter Head Rock, the literal translation of 'Hua Hin.'

 

" I couldn't believe the shape these animals were in, " said Bingley. " The

government takes dogs from off the street and they throw them into the

shelter. Eventually most of them are killed or sent to Vietnam for food. "

 

The existing law in Thailand neither allows nor prohibits dog slaughter, and

there is no animal welfare legislation. There is only one clause in

Thailand's criminal code, which states, " a person committing the act of

cruelty or killing an animal by means which induces unnecessary torment

shall be sentenced to one month in jail or fined one thousand baht ($32) or

both. "

 

The term cruelty is not defined and not one conviction has ever been made,

according to the Thai Animal Guardians Association.

 

Nam and two of her canine companions will be flying out to California at the

end of May -thanks to Bingley's friend in San Mataeo, Barbara Kohn, who

donated her

<http://www.asianpacificpost.com/portal2/c1ee8c44195e35b801197d2e43f002ad_We

st_Van_Man_Rescues_Asian_Dogs.do.html> air miles to rescue the three dogs

from the shelter. From there, Nam will make her way to West Vancouver,

provided Bingley finds the funds to fly her on the last leg of the trip.

 

Bingley, who lives in West Vancouver, has championed animal rights since he

was 13-years-old. In 1992, actress Dorris Day wrote an article in a

California newspaper in Carmel about Bingley, saying he has a " heart that

overflows with love for the animals. "

 

Bingley hopes that governments like that in Thailand incorporate an animal

welfare policy that uses reproductive control measures instead of reacting

to the problem by turning a blind eye to mass slaughter. He has already set

up similar projects in Norway, Argentina and Peru.

 

He encourages anyone who is interested in Nam's story or the other dogs that

need rescuing to visit Canadian Voice for Animals at

www.canadianvoiceforanimals.org.