Here’s another good news from a dog lover who gave us some feedback about the long way she and her new canine partner had to go until they finally came together.

Thank you Angela for your report, may be there will be more people like you, don’t get scared away by a little distance of a few thousand kilometer when just knowing this street dog is meant for me.

When my boyfriend and I travelled through Southeast Asia for three months last year, we also visited the city of Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand. Here, in an Italian restaurant we found the flyer from Care for Dogs. Since both of us are huge animal lovers we wanted to have a look at this project. And when we discovered that Karin Hawelka is has been living in Switzerland, too, we got even more excited. Arriving at the shelter, we were impressed by Care for Dogs’ work and decided to stay and help for four days. During this time I became friends with many of the dogs from the shelter… But one of them really grew on me. I observed Joy every day but respected her somewhat shy and reserved character. I was really fascinated by her whole personality and by the end of our stay I had fallen in love.

When Karin casually told me the day before we left, that Care for Dogs also does overseas adoptions, I was instantly hooked. It had always be my biggest wish to own a dog and our work at Care for dogs again proved me, how much joy and happiness a dog can bring me. I thought the whole thing through and then decided to take the step. I have to say though, that I only could do this thanks to Karins loving help and support. She organised everything from the test for canine rabies to the search for a flight companion. Our journey then first led us to Laos and Cambodia. It was hard for me to leave from Care for Dogs. But the prospect to give one of these many street dogs a new home soon, made me confident.

Back in Switzerland the long wait begun… I used the time to find a new apartment for me and Joy. In the one I was at the time, dogs were not allowed. And then everything went very fast… Karin Hawelka told me, that her husband would fly to Switzerland on March 19th and that he could accompany Joy. I was of course overjoyed because it had turned out to be quite difficult to find a flight companion for the flight from Chiang Mai to Zurich, and we had only got an offer for early May. When the day finally arrived, my anticipation was unmeasured. And when I finally could lift Joy out of her flight box I had tears in my eyes. She was finally here!

Since then Joy has settled in in Switzerland and I wouldn’t give her away at any price. Of course it is difficult at times since she still has some habits of a street dog. But with a lot of patience and some dog classes we will easily get a handle on this! 

Angela Bieri
Zurich / Switzerland