Waiting outside for the school bus this morning, our black lab couldn’t contain her excitement when she spotted a neighbour walking her black dog. Tail wagging wildly, she tugged me over for a meet-and-greet. As our friendly dogs exchanged pleasantries, our neighbour shared an unsettling fact that I didn’t know.
It turns out that black dogs like ours can face difficult challenges in certain cultures, where they are often associated with bad luck and superstitions. These beliefs can lead to their abandonment or mistreatment, making them less desirable for adoption. That’s when she introduced me to the Soi Dog Foundation, an organization she’s deeply involved with as the Director of Soi Dog Canada and Lead Volunteer for Partner Rescue Coordination. Soi Dog is an organization dedicated to rescuing and caring for street dogs and cats in Asia, offering spaying/neutering, medical treatment, shelter, and advocacy for their welfare.
Soi Dog Foundation was born out of necessity in 2003 in Phuket, Thailand. The island was overrun with strays, over 70,000 of them, and their numbers were skyrocketing because nobody was tackling the issue head-on. Soi Dog Foundation’s mission is straightforward:
- Spaying and Neutering: To prevent more stray puppies and kittens from being born into suffering.
- Rescue and Medical Treatment: They rescue animals in dire situations, give them essential medical care, and make sure they’re vaccinated to stay healthy.
- Sheltering and Adoption: For the animals that can’t go back to the streets, Soi Dog provides shelter and helps them find loving homes.
The results are impressive. By 2023, Soi Dog had spayed/neutered and vaccinated over a million animals since they started. They run daily mobile spay/neuter and vaccination clinics across Bangkok, and they plan to have ten of these mobile clinics in action soon.
Soi Dog Foundation is determined to improve animal welfare rights across Asia. They stand up for animals in regions where they often have little to no protection. And when disasters strike, they provide aid and support to animals affected by events like flooding and tsunamis.
As my neighbour and I chatted about our love for black dogs that morning, I couldn’t help but appreciate the Soi Dog Foundation and the incredible individuals who support their mission. Click here for more information on the Soi Dog Foundation and how to sponsor or adopt a dog.