Tamara Johnston is a very special young woman. She was born in Australia but later moved to Songkhla, Thailand, where she teaches English. When she arrived in her new country, the animal-lover was horrified by the number of straydogs that she encountered and the conditions in local shelters; so she decided to do something about it, reports The Dodo.
Source: Tamara Johnston
It was when she found Bella, a tiny 4-month-old puppy alone outside of a temple, that the woman was inspired to launch her ambitious and inspiring adventure. She described to The Dodo:
She would likely have been killed by a car had she stayed there. If not killed by a car, she would have soon been sick due to disease such as parvo, distemper, blood parasites or mange — this is very common here.
Source: Tamara Johnston
Sadly, there is little help for stray dogs in Thailand. Tamara explains:
In Western countries, we have shelters, pounds and various rescue centers that dogs can be surrendered to. Here they are very few and far between.
Source: Tamara Johnston
She goes on to explain that shelters in Thailand do not often bring dogs a happy ending, but instead many of them die due to the terrible conditions often present.Taking matters into her own hands, Tamara started rescuing and bringing stray dogs into her home where she would feed and bring them to a veterinarian. She also began to look for foster families in the USA.
Source: Tamara Johnston
However, the young lady was quickly overwhelmed with a huge number of dogs. After local residents heard about her mission, some began to leave their dogs outside of her house. She admits:
People here often take pictures of me and laugh, instead of offering a helping hand. Vets are not always the most helpful or responsible. People will ask for my help without offering any. So, on top of my actual job of rescuing and treating, I also have to deal with so many outside obstacles that just make my job even more difficult. But I’m determined and will never give up on these dogs or any other animal that needs my help.
Source: Tamara Johnston
At the moment, Tamara's house is home to 38 dogs and she also takes come of some 50 others living on the streets. The young woman has decided to start her very own shelter,Thai Street Paws, and hopes one day to open a veterinary clinic where she will offer free neutering and medical care. She concludes:
I know I can’t save every single dog, but I want to help as many as I can. That is the reason I continue to stay here. I want to make a difference.
Source: Tamara Johnston
To support Tamara's association and help them to continue their amazing work you can make a donation by clicking here.
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