This is our furry friend Charlie, a former stray dog who is in our care since almost 4 years and now living at our Animal Rescue Center on Koh Lipe.
Charlie was suffering from TVT (transmissible venereal tumor) and in incredible pain when we found him.
We brought him immediately to a clinic on the mainland for the needed medical care.
Charlie was hospitalized for several months and his leg had to be amputated because the tumor was not responding to the chemotherapy.
Today he is a happy boy and his disability doesn’t seem to bother him at all.
Charlie was lucky because just one year earlier TVT was a certain death sentence for stray dogs on Koh Lipe.
Back then there were no medical care or frequent spay/neuter programs for the strays on Koh Lipe in place.
There were approx. 800 strays on the Island and only about 10% of them were spayed / neutered. Many were almost starved to death, injured or sick.
When I came the first time to Koh Lipe almost 5 years ago my greatest desire and instinct were to do whatever it takes to help these animals and to ease the suffering.
Driven by compassion I knew that I had to take action.
Walking away was simply no option even though I didn’t have a detailed plan or lots of financial resources.
Today I am so glad that I didn’t let myself being stopped by fear or what other people were thinking but instead did what felt right for me.
Along the way I’ve met some truly amazing people who joined the journey and got actively involved in making Koh Lipe a better place for the strays.
Pushing through the struggles and obstacles was and still is so worth it to help animals like Charlie.
Together we’ve come a long way the past few years with frequent spay/neuter clinics, medical care, feeding programs and even an animal rescue center. But there is still a long way lying ahead of us and we need your support more than ever.
Every helping hand is more than welcome and as more support we get from you as more strays we can help.
Don't think that you can't make a change for these animals or that someone else will help.
You are the one who can help to make change happen and your support saves lives!
Please take a few minutes to find out how you can get involved: www.help4strays.org/how-you-can-help