Almost 6 months since I came upon Daisy lying listless, emaciated, anemic, bleeding from her nose and vagina from a TvT tumor in front of Wat Nong Pla Mun the day has finally arrived for me to chauffer Miss Daisy back home to the temple.

Unused to finding a dog in such a dire state and equally naive of most dog medical issues, I feel I have witnessed over these past months a true miracle of recovery.

I would never have imagined six months ago that a dog in such a state could become a healthy, vibrant dog again. This to me was a true success story and would never have been so if not for the Care for Dog facility and its caring staff.

So very sick and alone, Daisy had come to know the touch of a soothing hand, the taste of hand fed food, and the sound of gentle words to help her through her long convalescence.

A much anticipated, but nervous day for me for one never knows what a reunion will be like for a temple dog that has been away from its home for so long; will she fit back in to the pack, will she feel abandoned, will she be safe, will she become ill again? The homecoming erased all my fears as Daisy leapt from the car, instantly aware of where she was. All the other dogs came running up, licking and sniffing and playing. Running about the temple grounds was probably the first taste of exuberant freedom she has felt since her illness. The novice monks greeted her with huge smiles and lots of welcome home pets. I knew then that she was going to be O.K.

The memory that will stick most in my mind was the following morning when I stopped by the temple to see that all was fine. The monks were having a ceremony within the temple, chanting, their rhythmic cadence reaching throughout the compound and there was Daisy standing alone outside looking in just wagging her tail!

Care for Dogs TvT treatment center has been especially made to treat and care for dogs that are afflicted with this highly contagious, sexually transmitted disease (STD). This quarantined pen houses anywhere from 5-10 dogs at any given time. Chemotherapy must be administered intravenously by our visiting Vet, Dr Tarn on a weekly basis. Their special needs and long convalescent time is a priority for the Care for Dogs shelter.

Had it not been for their special needs facility, I cannot even begin to think what would have happened to Daisy. Most Thais are unsure as to what is wrong with these TvT dogs. As the tumors are quite ugly and bleeding one can only imagine that most people see that as a costly illness and therefore the dog is often ignored.

TvT is completely treatable often with 100% recovery. With awareness, this debilitating disease no longer needs to be a stigma for the street dogs of Thailand.

You can read more about TvT here …