Cocoa is unloved and uncared for at his ‘home’ and lives on the street. I highlight this story to bring awareness to Cocoa’s long goodbye as the plight of dogs in Thailand, whether they live on the street like Cocoa, and have a ‘home’, or not. They are still discarded and barely given a second thought. How sad is that?

I moved into my current neighborhood three years ago. Mind you when I came to look at the house there wasn’t a dog in sight. Yet upon moving in I counted thirteen dogs in the immediate vicinity that all lived on the streets, even though they all had so called families. It was a wake-up call for sure, and a lesson to make sure to look at potential houses several times, and at different times of the day. If I would have come at night, I would have found the streets covered with dogs! I really loved the house though, it had good energy, so I can’t say I would have been deterred. So, the work began.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

It took the first year to get to know them all, where their ‘homes’ were, and then slowly and sometimes painstakingly treat them for all manner of ailments, many times including E-Canis. Eventually all were able to be sterilized to stop even more being on the street, and over these past couple of years, there are fewer and healthier dogs. Sadly except for Cocoa.

Cocoa and Chocolate are the neighbor’s dogs. Although Cocoa is treated particularly cruelly by the male of the family, he remains so gentle. He had never had a kind hand laid to him until I moved in. Needless to say, I have taken him under my wing and have been feeding him and Chocolate, and tending to their sicknesses steadily, for quite some time.

As most dogs here that are treated so poorly by their humans, these dogs rarely get any vet care, including vaccinations, sterilizations, and tick and flea control. For this reason, so many dogs suffer and often die from E-Canis, a disease born from an infected tick bite. So many dogs here have kidney and liver complications that often fail due to the progression of this disease, as more often than not, they’re left untreated. If caught early enough, E-Canis can often be treated and cured with a dose or sometimes more, of doxycycline, an antibiotic specifically used for this illness.

Early last year Cocoa became very thin and thankfully WVS/ Care for Dogs took him in for treatment, where they kept him for quite some time, almost two months if I remember correctly. They did everything they could for him and then asked if he could come back to the neighborhood to pass away with his fellow street dog friends. It seemed the most logical, as I’d look after him and make sure he was fed and looked after. Well…here we are over a year and a half later, he’s only now starting to show signs of end of life. What an amazing spirit Cocoa has! The vets have now said the same thing, his time is coming soon.

Cocoa’s family are against euthanasia, a mostly taboo subject in Thai culture, so he he’ll live out his days out on the street with his friends as planned some time ago. He’s been a miracle really, and made it far longer than expected. Still in saying that, I’m going to miss this boy so much. For now, I’m giving him all the love he’s been denied in his lifetime. I clean his eyes daily, give him pets and cuddles, and spoil him with treats and fried chicken. He will be missed in the neighborhood as all the other dogs love him. Even Jackie Chan, that doesn’t get on with other dogs, gives Cocoa a pass. They know, don’t they?

Bless Cocoa and his sweet pure soul. Let’s all keep him in our thoughts, and hope for a peaceful transition when it’s his time to leave us. This is without a doubt the hardest part of living in Thailand, the disregard for animals, and just the indifference.

Please remember the only real cure for E-Canis is prevention, by giving regular doses of tick and flea treatment to your dog and those dogs around you, you can make a huge difference in their quality – and length of life.

Topical options include Advantix and Frontline Plus (given once per month) or Bravecto (given once every 3 months). Oral chewable options include Nexgard (given monthly), Simparica (given monthly), or Bravecto (given every 3 months). Your veterinarian will help you determine which preventive is right for your dog. I personally use Bravecto and think it’s a superior product, and only used every three months, making it much easier to administer.

If you’d like to learn more on E-Canis, including the warning signs for your dog, click here: https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/ehrlichiosis-in-dogs?fbclid=IwAR2jjMJgQYNY8_QM4iqgxAd-7aW8WFfunVoVWX3pHChLrf-s_WahajDRV4E#:~:text=Ehrlichiosis%20is%20a%20disease%20that,the%20United%20States%20and%20Canada

Please consider donating to a dog rescue or sanctuary, every little bit can provide treatment to a dog in need. See Bolo’s Tail Contact page under where to adopt a senior with some suggestions locally in Chiang Mai: https://bolostail.com/contact/

These organizations need our help, the life-saving work can only continue when we all pull together.

Animals are innocents, and they depend on us to be their voice. Please speak loudly and clearly in their name and help all that you can.