I came to Chiang Mai in December 2009 and it was my first time in Thailand. I was amazed to see so many street dogs. And because I love dogs very much and had never seen this many street dogs before in my life, I was really overwhelmed and I didn’t really know how to cope with my feelings, or what to think about the street dog situation in Thailand.

After two weeks in Chiang Mai, I luckily came across the Care for Dogs stand at the Sunday walking street market where I picked up an information brochure. I then looked at the Care for Dogs website and I decided to drive to the shelter in order to volunteer.

Again I was overwhelmed, this time by the number of dogs that live at the shelter. But what really shocked me were the stories I got to hear about some of the dogs’ history. In fact, I was so shocked I had to cry for many days and became really depressed. I felt a lot of anger for the people who were treating those dogs so badly before they were rescued.

After some days I luckily managed to get out of that state by concentrating on the good people who are working at the shelter so hard, caring for the dogs, giving them love and a wonderful home. It was and still is very moving for me, to see how much effort and affection the people who are working at the shelter put into their work for a better life for each single dog in need.

Since I started volunteering at the shelter I’ve had my ups and downs emotionally but when surrounded by those lovely creatures, who are so thankful for every bit of attention and love they get, I am unbelievably happy. I cannot think of a more important place to work, volunteer or visit in Chiang Mai, since there are obviously so many dogs that need to be taken care of and being protected against many humans who unfortunately don’t understand that dogs are able to suffer as much as humans are.

I will soon have to leave Thailand but I am still thinking a lot about how to carry on being useful for the organization from far away and I am sure I will find something useful to contribute in the future. I feel very sad when I think about not seeing the dogs anymore, since many of them became very special to me but I will not only miss those dogs, I will miss all the dogs at the shelter because each single one has a personality and because they all need to be cared for and loved.

Thailand is a beautiful country with many places of beauty and interest. However, the fact that so many animals suffer at the hands of people, neglect or poor education, highlights the work still needing to be done in respect of Animal Rights. This reflects quite a contrast.

I encourage people to find Care for Dogs and like me, realise it to be of such social importance and decide to volunteer at the shelter.

I am very thankful to the people who work at the shelter, who provided me an insight to their work and for their patience to explain so much to me.

I hope I will see you all again some time. And I hope that the dogs will always have people like you to look after them.

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