If you can’t adopt, you still can help dogs that live on the street.

I came across Dam once I’d moved in to my current neighborhood after stopping by my new local 7-11. There he was, standing in the parking lot, looking emaciated and dragging a long rope. He obviously had freed himself of the sad and destitute life of being tied and confined, and barely fed or looked after.

Good for him was my first thought after feeling deep empathy in seeing his condition. I asked around the store and was told ‘no owner’.

Over the next few weeks, I went around and started to gain his trust, bringing him nutritious food and inching myself closer to him. He is not a touchy, feely dog, but warmed up to the unconditional love he’d been missing so far in his life. Dam was free and more than happy to have adopted his new home on the stoop of the sevvie.

As time went on, I felt secure enough to bring my local vet over to see him. Yes, my vet Dr, Top does 7-11 calls! We were able to muzzle him for a quick blood check and the results came back that night. He had blood parasites, a common disease in dogs here born from tick bites. Treatment began immediately, a six-week course of antibiotics. I spent the next six weeks, which turned into months, bringing his pills in cream cheese – he loved that! His treatment was much longer than we anticipated, and so I was able to fatten him up pretty good. Over time we took another two blood tests, then Dam decided that was enough and would no longer let us muzzle him. By the way Dam in Thai means Black. Black dogs and cats are always the hardest to rehome, it’s a cultural and/or superstitious thing in many places of the world that they are mischaracterized as aggressive or bad luck. I couldn’t disagree more as I’d grown up with black labs, sweetest dogs ever!

So back to Dam…

The next thing was he needed to be to sterilized as he’d already ‘fathered’ some pups in the neighborhood. With the help of WVS/Care for Dogs, they were able to do that and check him out and once he got the all okay, he was brought back home to the 7-11. Forever grateful!

Dam is living well there. Everyone knows him and they all pitch in to do their part collectively. When I pull up to feed him, the vendors all around call out mom is here! It’s so sweet that they recognize he needs the care of the community around him to survive. He has been fortunate in this way, the people have excepted that their local convenience store is his home, and mostly pay him no mind by just walking around him to get in and out of its front door.

They are a few lucky people that Dam lets touch him, he’s a snapper with most strangers, like my Jackie Chan. I’m so thankful there is a lovely couple that sell meat on a stick outside the store and they also help to look after him. Quite some time ago, I asked if I could keep food for Dam in their vending stall, and they happily agreed. I go around twice a week or so and give him homemade food and a big bone. He loves bones! And make sure his container always has kibble, which is given to him every day by the meat vendors. This is going on three years now and happy to say he’s thriving.

For now, Dam is a healthy and happy street dog, living a good life. He is blessed compared with so many other dogs that are trying to survive by fending for themselves.

Adoption is not the only way to save a dog’s life. You can feed a dog that needs your help. You can foster a dog from a shelter, or the street, until it can find its forever home. You can volunteer at a local rescue, shelter or sanctuary. You can donate to a worthy dog rescue organization that cares, and has a sterilization plan to try to stem the overabundance of unwanted puppies, which is only exasperating the problem.

Here is a wonderful group that helps animals in distress here in Thailand, by your donation, more sterilizations can be realized, and their re-homing efforts of rescued dogs in the Northern Chiang Mai area can continue. Please reach out here: On Facebook to Amandine HandtoPaw, or https://k9aid.org/hand-to-paw/. The Dogs Thank You!

There is always something you can do to help the countless dogs that need us to be their voice!