Why Volunteer at a Dog Shelter ?
Volunteering with street dogs and rescue dogs is very popular all around the world. There are a number of reasons for this.
Volunteering with dogs ( any animal ) gives a sense of fulfilment, giving back to your community is in itself rewarding. But for animal lovers caring for abused dogs is very rewarding. It actually boosts your emotional well being and helps create a happy mind. If you are travelling it’s also a great way to meet people who you have something in common with, a great way to network. There are many other great reasons to volunteer at a dog shelter in Thailand. So we know why you want to do it, but which programs are the best ?
We found a clear winner Second Chance Dog Shelter in Thailand
The Best Volunteer Program in Thailand working with dogs at a Dog Shelter is Second Chance Dog Shelter
We may be biased as dog trainers but we 100% feel the best program is at Second Chance Dog Shelter in Pattaya. The courses here are run with dog trainers and they teach the volunteers to train the dogs in the shelter, so the volunteers learn about training and the dogs get trained. The course also looks like it uses a lot of fun activities to train the dogs, obedience, agility, swimming and surfing, so for us this is the number 1 Volunteer Program at a Dog Shelter in Thailand. But of all the courses we’ve looked at this is the one that the volunteers get the most from, the dogs too as well.
The location of the volunteer program is good too, it’s close to Bangkok so easy to get to. There are hundreds of activities and tours you can do from Pattaya, so volunteers can definitely make the most of their time in Thailand, either island hopping, taking part in water sports, visiting temples and the like. There is also a lot of nightlife in Pattaya as well.
No 2 Soi Dogs In Phuket
Soi dogs in Phuket ( another great location ) is a huge shelter. Second Chance has 80 dogs in their care, Soi Dogs has 1400. We volunteered here many moons ago and it was very good. There were many other volunteers to meet ( apparently now there can be as many as 60 in the high season ). The volunteer program here is not as educational as at Second Chance, the volunteer role is to walk the dogs, very worthwhile still, but not as great for the dogs as training. Training definitely enhances their chances of being adopted.
Phuket is a tourism hub for Thailand, it has bars and clubs, great beaches and al the beach activities you can imagine. It’s an island so not as convenient for travel elsewhere in Thailand, but that’s not remotely insurmountable.
No 3 Rescue Paws
Rescue Paws is a smaller shelter, with a very established volunteer program. The volunteers clean the kennels, exercise the dogs and also go on feeding runs to feed dogs living on the streets. The volunteers are very involved in the day to day work of the shelter. That can even extend to media work, vet students can also work with their onsite vets.
The location is Hua Hin, it’s a quiet seaside town. Much more of a traditional Thai experience living here compared to Pattaya and Phuket. There are far less activities as a result, but a fabulous place to visit still.
No 4 Lanta Animal Welfare
Lanta Animal Welfare is situated on the island of Koh Lanta which has great beaches and a beautiful old town. It has tourists, but you would not describe it as touristy.
LAW has a minimum age of 25 and a minimum stay of 4 weeks, which the others do not. The work is based around helping the shelter, cleaning, feeding and exercising the dogs. The reason it makes the list is because the location is unique, its a very beautiful almost untouched island and LAW has made a huge impact helping stray dogs there.
These shelters are all in very different locations, so your choice of where to go may be impacted by that. If you want the hustle and bustle of the tourist centres you have Second Chance and Soi Dog, if you prefer a more relaxed location you have Rescue Paws and Lanta Animal Welfare. But if you are looking at what you get out of the programs, hands down you get the most from the incredible courses on offer at Second Chance Shelter in Pattaya.