Hand to Paw Thailand is a Thailand registered Non Profit Organization based in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand.
Dogs in Thailand don’t have it easy. They risk poisoning, Parvo and Distemper virus, hunger, attacks by others, flea infestations, snake bites, and horrific neglect. Street dogs are unseen and often people think: “it’s not my dog, it’s not my responsibility.”
In 2005, I travelled to Thailand and I was baffled by how much suffering existed for these dogs. I was also astonished by how easy it was to help. Veterinary care here was so much cheaper than I’d ever known it to be and my savings could help a lot of dogs. For years, I would work and save money and come out to Thailand to spend my savings on helping more dogs. In 2012, I was able to move to Thailand permanently to work full-time as a therapist for children, whilst continuing to help street dogs during evenings and weekends 🥰
Since 2014, I’ve partnered up with Joy Huss who started Hand to Paw in 2009 and, as a team, we offer medical care to street and temple dogs every single day of the year. As often as our resources allow, we help dogs with cancers, dogs who have been hit by cars, dogs suffering from flea/tick infestation or mange, and dogs who have been poisoned or abused and need immediate intervention. We take injured and sick dogs to the clinic when no one else would. We then fundraise to cover the costs. Additionally, we are sterilizing 2,500 cats and dogs annually and we are vaccinating 1,500 dogs each year against Distemper and Parvo virus.
Since Hand to Paw was initially started as a school initiative, education is a huge part of our ethos; we help provide vital information to villagers about dog care and we help school children learn how to approach dogs and how to help dogs in need. The heartbeat behind street dogs keeps getting stronger as we grow more and more each year!
If you’re looking for a feel-good read, we regularly update this site with our success stories, so come and check us out regularly! We are out every day helping those with the greatest need and can turn misery into miracles with your help!
We run entirely on the generosity of donations. Neither Joy or I take a salary for the rescue work we do so that 100% of donations can go towards providing medical care for the dogs we meet.
We also both cover the gap when donations aren’t enough.
If you’d like to make a difference, join us in our work by making a donation 🐾
Thank you to all the street dog heroes (those who help in person and those who help by sending funds)! Together we can do what none of us could do alone 🙏💖