Entering the Wolf Pack

Blog number one from Thailand..

My journey over, minus a few hiccups, was smooth enough and I arrived late Sunday night. Arriving to a pitch black guesthouse I assumed that id be sitting on my case all night until a guy appeared from nowhere with my key. I am staying at Nai Yang Beach approx. 20 mins drive from the Soi Dog shelter in Mai Khao. Its very much a simple life vibe here, few shops, few restaurant/bars and a beautiful beach.

Today was my first day at the shelter, I woke up at 7.30 with hardly any decent sleep but excited. It was recommended I wear long trousers for the first few days to avoid excitable scratches but its insanely hot so I chanced it with shorts. The pickup point is right outside my guesthouse (half the reason I chose to stay here) and other volunteers came along until 12 or so of us piled into a pickup truck taking us to the shelter.

The people are exactly what I expected, travel bugs with energy and passionate about this cause. Most volunteers here at the moment are on their second week so I was paired with Christie (also a newbie) and after a tour of the shelter, assigned run A1.

From the offset it is obvious that every dog has experienced the dark side of human nature, if not missing limbs then multiple scar wounds are visible on nearly every dog. On the tour we met the survivors of the dog meat trade along with victims of abuse or neglect. Most are up for adoption but some unfortunately are either too ill, old or mentally wounded to ever be rehomed or chance living back on the streets.

Taking a peek inside the operating theatre I was amazed that these vets have been able to help as many dogs as they have. It is TINY and very basic. Soi Dog are in the process of building a new dog hospital on site, this is funded by charity donations and it is obvious from day 1 that this facility will transform the shelters ability to continue the amazing work they do.

No matter how tough you are with animals, it is intimidating entering a pen with 20 street dogs all barking, growling and jumping at you. As soon as I heard someone say that me and Christie seem 'confident' enough for A1, I knew these must be a rowdy bunch. I was first to squeeze through the gate, and my orange top was soon decorated with hundreds of dirty paw prints. Obviously, with the background stories of these dogs, its impossible to assume that I can stroke them all straightaway. I was wary of which ones were safe enough to touch but they gave enough warning if we weren't welcome to. Mine and their confidence grew throughout the day, learning their personalities gives a sense of relief towards approaching them. Exactly like a pack of wolves, there is a hierarchy among them in the pen. Weaker and timid dogs are bullied by the others and fights between them are common.

Dominant Gypsy

By the end of the day, jealously between the dogs was apparent as they fought for the attention from us. I am hoping to build control with the dogs in A1 and hopefully build trust with the dogs that didn't dare come close to me. Day one complete and with only a small nip on the back of my leg and a few scratches it has been a success.

Run A1

Please keep up with my blog, this is a very exciting journey and I am truly looking forward to documenting how some love and care can transform a life. Please donate at http://www.gofundme.com/jessiessoidogs if you are interested in contributing towards the future of this amazing organisation.

Volunteering at The Soi Dog Foundation

http://www.gofundme.com/jessiessoidogs

I think it takes time until you find a cause that you are truly passionate about. Since first hearing of the Soi Dog Foundation, their stories struck a cord with me and I have been determined to experience what they do first hand, fund raise, volunteer and spread awareness. 

The Soi Dog Foundation is a not-for-profit, legally registered charitable organization who make an amazing difference to the lives of dogs (and cats) in Asia who sadly suffer from abuse, neglect, homelessness and are victims of the cruel dog meat trade. 

In February I travelled to Thailand for a holiday, less than a week after arriving home I had booked my next flight. It is an exceptionally beautiful country but I am eager to explore the devastating hidden secrets involving the animals, often out of sight to tourists.  

My trip to the dog shelter in Phuket has been funded for by myself. For the last couple of months I have put a hold on my excessive spending by cutting out on nights out, buying clothes, having a gym membership and eating out. I have saved my pays religiously and managed to raise money to help with my food budget by selling clothes on ebay. Being strict has paid off, my flights and accommodation are now booked and paid in full. 

I've had an unexpected response and received touching comments from strangers thanks to the powers of social media while sharing about my ebay link. Many people seemed keen to donate towards this cause, some mentioning that they are interested in how their money would make a difference. I would like the opportunity to raise awareness while over at the shelter, and fund raise while sharing my personal experience. 

As soon as my journey begins in April 2015, I plan to blog about the shelter, the organisation, the animals, the people and the work they carry out. Hopefully, this will reach out to the kindness of strangers as well as people who know me and understand how much it means to have the opportunity to travel over. I have set up a go fund me account, ALL donations raised will be gifted to the Soi Dog Foundation at the end of my trip. Every penny will undoubtedly help towards changing the lives of many of these dogs. 

http://www.gofundme.com/jessiessoidogs