PICTURES: Soi Dog delivers food to animals in flood-hit provinces of Thailand
Soi Dog Foundation delivered over 210 tonnes of food to over 26,000 animals affected by floods in Thailand this month alone. Soi Dog helped animals affected by severe flooding in Sing Buri, Ayutthaya, Nonthaburi, Ubon Ratchathani, Sukhothai, and Ang Thong provinces.
The foundation was able to deliver 7,750 bags of dog food and 2,785 bags of cat food in six provinces thanks to a positive response to their urgent appeal. Soi Dog is continuing to deliver food by the day.
Locals in some areas have been able to pick up the food from their local subdistrict administrative organisation (OrBorTor). In some areas, this has not been possible, so Soi Dog’s staff delivered the food to stranded animals by boat.
The foundation said the flooding this year is among the most severe they have ever seen. Soi Dog assisted animals displaced by floods in Ayutthaya and Sing Buri last year, Nakhon Si Thammarat in 2020, Ubon Ratchathani in 2019, and Bangkok in 2011-12.
Community Relations Manager of Soi Dog Foundation Sakdapol Thongjan said…
“I have never seen anything like it. Entire houses were flooded up to the roof, and animals were swimming through the water, desperately trying to reach higher ground. We had to paddle boats to reach some dogs who were completely stranded on a bridge. It was heartbreaking. There were hundreds of them.”
It’s not only stray animals that have been affected but pets too. A man from Sukhothai told Soi Dog staff that his home flooded within minutes when a nearby dam collapsed in the early hours of the morning. His dog was swept away by the fast currents. Fortunately, the dog was able to take refuge in a tree and was reunited with his owner the next day.
In Sing Buri, a woman told staff that she had urgently taken in a puppy that had nowhere else to go after its owner’s house was inundated with rising flood waters. The flooding is much worse than in previous years, the woman added.
Soi Dog does not receive any government funding and is reliant on donations from supporters from around the world. Without their generosity, the emergency flood relief efforts would not have been possible.
“Any support, whether from individuals or organizations, is greatly appreciated. These animals are part of our communities, and they need us now more than ever,” said Sakdapol.
To donate to Soi Dog’s urgent appeal, please click here. To report a displaced dog or cat in need of food, please call 076-68129 from Monday – Friday, 8am – 5pm, or email ble@soidog.org.
In September, Soi Dog made headlines when they vaccinated over 700 stray dogs in Phuket. Later that month, Soi Dog stepped up their fight against rabies and the dog meat trade in Vietnam.
