During the floods, stray dogs are hungry and cannot find food.
The Soi Dog Foundation’s ongoing relief efforts for dogs and cats hit by the recent floods in central Thailand have resulted in the amount of food being delivered to desperate dogs and cats exceeding a whopping 100 tons.
After the first distribution of 64 tons of food at the end of September in the floodplains caused by the tropical storms Lionrock and Kompasu in the central region, further deliveries for street and domestic animals were delivered to four districts in Nonthabhuri and Singburi, the total amount of over 100 tons Provided to the county administrative offices of Mueang, Sai Noi, Bang Bua Thong and Pak Kret counties in Nonthabhuri and Mueang counties in Singburi.
During the floods in Nonthaburi alone, local authorities estimated that over 2,500 dogs and 5,000 cats were in dire need of food.
“Even now, after the floods have receded, these animals cannot find food and their owners cannot feed their pets without our help,” said Sakdapol Thongjan, Community Relations Manager at Soi Dog. He describes the situation as a “real double crisis”
Dog and cat food is offered to the abbot of a temple in central Thailand for feeding stray dogs on the temple grounds and in their respective communities.
“In the first round we hardly saw the tip of the iceberg,” he says, referring to the large number of dogs and cats in need. The majority of these animals are often looked after by animal lovers in the surrounding areas and villages, most of them are in good health and have been vaccinated and sterilized beforehand.
But in this difficult time they need food to survive, which the churches cannot provide in this time of crisis.
Fortunately, following Soi Dog’s extensive sales efforts, there have been no further reports of dogs or cats in need of rescue, although Sakdapol added that Soi Dog will work with the appropriate agencies to coordinate aid if needed.
Stranded by the floods, residents cannot find food for their beloved pets. During the recent flood, it is estimated that the Soi Dog Foundation provided food to over 6,000 dogs and 8,000 cats to ensure those animals were getting the supplies they needed. The non-profit foundation is still prepared for future emergencies.
Distribution centers are being set up in temples and provincial offices to help distribute pet food to stranded animals.
According to a report by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, the northeast monsoon, which affects the Gulf of Thailand and the south, exacerbates the flooding situation. Flash floods and mudslides have occurred in 12 provinces in the past two weeks.
Further information on the Soi Dog Foundation’s emergency aid program can be found at https://links.soidog.org/help-hungry-animals.
