Bangkok and California, Sep 30 (IPS) – After I began residing in Thailand, I observed one thing particular that I had by no means seen in different international locations I had visited earlier than. It was stray canine. I’ve encountered so many stray canine whereas jogging by way of the streets.
At first I used to be afraid of them as a result of they may assault me, as I had learn in press articles. Surprisingly, most of those strays in Thailand appeared pleasant. Sadly, as they slept in soiled streets and drank the sewage, they contracted numerous illnesses reminiscent of rage, babesiosisirritation of the lungs, canine monocytic ehrlichiosisand so on.
As a pet proprietor, I felt they weren’t meant to be on the streets. Think about, my Woods, a bit Bichon Frize, within the soiled streets bitten by ticks and catching rabies! It breaks my coronary heart. Each time I take a look at stray canine in Thailand, they seem like my antlers. And I believed, “The place do these strays come from?” And why do the Thais go away them on the road? Then I had an enormous awakening and determined I had to assist these strays. That is how I began my public and fundraising marketing campaign for stray canine.
Earlier than launching my marketing campaign, I wished to get details about the well being issues of stray canine and found that additionally they have an effect on the well-being of Thai individuals. Final yr I learn an article a few 39-year-old lady in Surin, Thailand, who died of rabies after caring for stray animals. A research revealed that almost 87.5% of canine in Thailand have rabies and aren’t vaccinated towards the illness. This shocked me, particularly as a result of getting the canine vaccinated towards rabies is the very first thing it is best to do when adopting a canine from Korea, the place I grew up. Figuring out that people not often survive rabies infections, many Thais fear about stray canine round them carrying rabies. I made a decision to arrange a marketing campaign to help the rabies vaccination of stray canine in Thailand as a result of rabies impacts the well-being of canine and other people.
Whereas organizing the marketing campaign, I discovered one thing distinctive in Thai tradition concerning the motivation to breed canine. Not like South Korea, the place canine are handled as life companions for individuals, Thais breed canine to point out off their standing. Since Thai royal households love canine, many Thais are following swimsuit. However then, with out having sufficient assets to take care of correct care for his or her canine, individuals go away these poor creatures on the streets. And that is how they find yourself having so many strays. I spotted that with out altering the Thai individuals’s view of canine, there could be extra stray canine who would endure. My final aim is to unfold the message that we must be chargeable for how these canine are deserted on the streets and that in doing so we are able to construct a safer neighborhood the place canine and people can fortunately co-exist. The message is evident: canine are a part of the household. As we want correct well being care, they want it too.
So let me let you know about my marketing campaign. To unfold our message, we designed t-shirts with our slogan “Canine are household”. We additionally printed a poster explaining that “Canine’ Lives Matter” and that this marketing campaign is for each people and canine. Due to the help of a digital character firm, ‘UZZUZZU MY PET’, we may use their characters as our marketing campaign mascot.
We additionally had a really particular interview with the founding father of the Voice Basis, Chollada Sirisant. In her interview, she defined that many Thais are unaware of the cash it takes to maintain a canine as a pet. Some individuals abuse Buddhist beliefs that worth the lifetime of all animals and abandon canine in Buddhist temples.
Even now, there are strays that proceed to breed and create extra strays. This can be a severe moral concern, as extra canine roam the streets the place they do not belong and inevitably turn out to be prone to rabies. Because of the irresponsible habits of people, an increasing number of canine are at risk, which finally impacts us people with the worry of rabies.
In keeping with Chollada, adopting strays is not all the time finest for them as a result of among the rescued canine need to return to the streets. Which means so long as they’re vaccinated towards rabies and sterilized, Thais can coexist with stray canine. Time will play a job within the formation of the brand new ecosystem. I noticed how animal farms in Korea had been flagged and brutally criticized on social media, ending the inhumane therapy of canine in Korea. I imagine there may be additionally hope for a change in Thai tradition.
I stay up for seeing modifications in the best way Thai individuals view animal rights as extra individuals get motivated and concerned in our actions by way of social media.
Report of the UN IPS Workplace
Be aware: Junwoo Na was the group chief
Edited by Hanna Yoon
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