In November / December this year I will be going to Thailand to the island Koh Lanta where I help out as a volunteer in a dog- and cat rescue centre called Lanta Animal Welfare short LAW.
About Lanta Animal Welfare
The project was started in 2005 during the construction boom after the Tsunami. During the boom, construction workers came with their dogs but left them behind when the buildings were completed. In addition to this problem, the number of tourists feeding these dogs increased which resulted in their high survival and reproduction rates, causing over population. The clinic was opened in January 2010.
LAW has the following objectives:
• Prevent and control the overpopulation of dogs and cats on Koh Lanta in a humane way through sterlization programmes. By doing this, the suffering (hunger, disease, abuse, injuries) will be greatly reduced as well.
• Provide care and treatment to sick and injured stray animals.
• Provide education and promote awareness of animal care & respect.
The sterilization programm is particularly vital to humane population control. Unfortunately, some of the methods used by the locals are extremely painful and inhumane, such as: food poisoning or feeding food mixed with fish hooks; drowning; throwing boiling oil on them; cutting them with knives and machetes.
Much of the population on the island is Muslim and parts of this community can have a negative attitude towards dogs. By educating and speaking with the local population, unnecessary suffering can be avoided for these animals and it is why we are also working on an education programm that will involve local community and school projects. To better serve the community, it is essential that they take part in the objectives to help suffering animals.
LAW currently has around 25-30 dogs and 20-25 cats, yet this number can fluctuate as animals are treated and released or re-homed.
Junie Kovacs is the founder of the centre and has been living on Koh Lanta since 2003. She also runs the cooking school and beach bar Time For Lime, which donates its profits to LAW. This is our main source of funding and without this valuable support we would not be here. We also receive donations from local businesses, tourists and animal lovers all over the world.
