A few more photos have come through from our team in Thailand, and you can see some of the animals our team is helping to feed. The few animals you see here are by no means the full extent of our work – it is just a reminder of why we do what we do!
As with every disaster, WSPA has followed certain basic principles: we started the operation in Thailand by conducting a thorough needs assessment to decide what the most critical needs are, which ones are being met by other groups and where our help would be most useful to fill the gaps.
Our needs assessment showed that one of the most critical needs is for food with which to keep rescued animals alive in the temporary shelters they are being brought to.
WSPA staff and volunteers help move these dogs from the Saunkaew temple (where they were initially sheltered) to an alternate shelter on higher ground, when the temple itself was flooded. Over 100 dogs were moved from the temple to the new shelter.
The dogs are patient, perhaps sensing the dangers they are exposed to, as our team transfers them from one temporary shelter to another.
Even as the waters rose, some dogs were unwilling to leave their territories, the homes they were so accustomed to. The caretaker of the temple, who was a familiar figure for the dogs, has helped coax the dogs into settling in the new shelter, accepting food from her regularly.
The volunteers used ingenious solutions – plastic tubs, cages, boats – to transport the animals to higher ground to keep them safe from the flood waters.
A large cage suffices to house a whole brood of puppies, as they are prepared for transportation to the safer shelter.
As the water levels have risen, there are more people than there are boats to carry them now, so our team have been heading out on large trucks. Boats are only one way of accessing the flooded areas, and not always the best (or safest) choice. Our Response Team is prepared to head out in the most effective way possible, and will be out on trucks and boats to continue delivering services and supporting our response partners in the coming days.
