Care for Dogs is constantly approached by people that want to volunteer and get up close with the residents at the shelter.

Recently, we were fortunate to meet Sibylle. This is what she has to say about her time in Chiang Mai.

The whole month of february i stayed in chiang mai and went to the shelter care for dogs, 2 or 3 times a week, to give a little help to the people there and to have a look what is their work.

when i came first into the shelter, it was a special situation: normally in my country there is 1 or at most 2 dogs that say hello to me. but in the shelter are about 100 dogs and for sure 20 – 30 dogs came up to me, wagging their tails, barking and said hello with a lot of pleasure. what a warm welcome! they are all in their kind of way sweet and almost all very affectionate. my “work” in the shelter mainly was to be with the dogs, to give them big attention, to stroke them and play with them. i made my rounds every time i came and just this part took a lot of time. but of course for me it was the most beautiful time of the day… I also brushed them (some like it more, the others absolutely not!), went for walks (it was quite difficult and sometimes they walked with me…), helped the guys feeding them, changing water, and so one.

very interesting for me were also the different visits by the vets. to see how the dogs became treatment, which medicine they become, or which vaccinations. one day i spent the whole afternoon in a vet clinic, where about 12 dogs from the shelter became treatment and vaccinations against tvt. at the end, i felt almost like a vet-assistant…!

another day i was present when karin & co. went to the temple wat doi kam with a big area and made there “dog hunting”. we tried to catch some dogs for sterilisation. i’ve already had a lot of fitness in walking through the city of chiang mai, but after this day i was rather k.o. by running and walking up and down the forest with its steep slopes (unfortunately for me without success, the dogs have been found by the guys…)

and last but not least, i also could take part on a temple-feeding-round and then it happened – i met “Little Foxy”… yes, a girl, but a special one. one with 4 legs, little, light brown, so sweet and gentle. she was the only one who had been taken in the car for sterilisation at the end of the feeding-rounds and she conquered my heart immediately.

it must be love…!! of course it had to happen to me!! what i feared before, came true!! the last days i came in the shelter i needed much more time, because i had some special dates with MY doggie. i don’t know what had happened if i had stayed one or two weeks longer… anyway, it’s always, if shorter or longer, hard to go and say good-bye!

it was a very beautiful and big experience for me to be for a while a little part in the wonderful organisation of “care for dogs”. it’s enormous what karin, ally, soraya, gill, and of course the guys that live within the shelter do for the dogs in chiang mai and surrounding! my respect for this team with such a huge heart for animals – especially for dogs! i wish the 2-legs-workers all the best in the future and always enough energy, power and also enough money, to continue with this important work for the 4-legs-inside guests in the shelter and all the other street-, homeless- and temple dogs. all of them are waiting to become a good home – and especially i hope this so much for my doggie “Little Foxy”! i’ll think of you all on my further trip and also when i’m back in switzerland!

sibylle

p.s. one and a half weeks later, after leaving the city and on my way to chiang rai, i couldn’t resist to made a stopover in chiang mai for 2 days and visit the shelter once again. there was still somebody, who was waiting for me to become a last special good-bye and a little kiss on its wet little nose…!

Thanks Sibylle for all your work and commitment during your stay, you are welcome back anytime you are in the area !

Indeed, if anyone is inspired by reading this and other accounts of volunteering, please get in touch and we (canines & humans) would be very happy to welcome you too !

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