There are many angels in the animal rescue world – today I am going to talk about one of them.
Michael J. Baines, The Man That Rescues Dogs!
Like Wang Yan of the Changchun Animal Rescue in China, their passion came from an experience that would change the course of their life.
Michael moved to Thailand from Sweden to open a restaurant, a move that would change his life in so many ways.
After opening his restaurant he found the number of stray dogs roaming the streets of Thailand heartbreaking.
In 2011, one special stray who was in very bad shape made repeated visits to the restaurant and of course Michael began feeding him.
After caring for that guy, he just continued helping other stray dogs and this resulted in him starting to rescue and rehabilitate the dogs and find them good homes.
What is the obvious next step?
Start a sanctuary of course.
The Man That Rescues Dogs started in 2017 and is an official foundation that works to help the stray dogs of Thailand.
They heave earned the respect and support of the local government which is helping to make change in the community.
The hope is to grow their coverage and help other regions to be able to minimize the number of stray dogs and care for the sick and elderly.
The Sanctuary
The sanctuary currently houses 600 rescues dogs!
That is a lot of mouths to feed and care for.
Not only do they have dogs in their facility but they also care for an estimated 350 stray dogs within their local area.
The sanctuary has a full service clinic onsite that allows the dogs to receive medical care, a special area for disabled dogs and even a quarantine area for dogs with distemper.
Water therapy is available in one of their 3 pools and last but not least, the dogs can enjoy some fun obstacles in the 5 different shelter areas where the dogs reside.
The Clinic
The clinic is an amazing addition to the community.
They have 3 on-staff veterinarians that can provide the medical services needed to keep pets healthy and happy.
They offer free services if a pet is spayed/neutered.
If not, they can then do the spay or neuter for a pet owner and THEN provide the services for free.
The ultimate goal is of course to limit the number of strays and by encouraging the sterilization of pets, they can make a difference.
The clinic also travels to public locations where pet owners can bring their dogs for a free spay or neuter.
Every dog that is rescued and resides at the sanctuary is rehabilitated, sterilized, vaccinated and medicated before rehoming as well.
This work is all funded by donations.
The quarantine section of the clinic focuses on dogs with more serious health needs like viruses and ensure they dogs are kept away from other dogs to not spread diseases.
Sick and elderly or disabled dogs reside in the care center, a place with 5 staff members who spend their days caring for these dogs.
This can include walks, water therapy and even physiotherapy.
Every action taken helps brings a dog closer to a permanent home.
The Man That Rescues Dogs Needs Our Help
If you love the work this team is doing as much as I do, please offer them some support.
As with many rescues and shelters, COVID has ruined their fundraising, visitors and donations.
With a 40% drop in donations since the pandemic started and a lot of dogs and employees to worry about, the help you can offer is greatly needed.
If you cannot donate, then please share.
Tell your friends about this amazing organization and maybe others who can help will.
Use the links below to follow them on social media.
The organization is always looking for dog food, rice, leashes or collars, sheets and of course cash donations.
Please visit TMTRD to see how you can help.
Reside in Thailand and are local to the sanctuary?
They are always looking for amazing foster homes or even better homes that are able to adopt.
If you have love to give and want to give a dog a home, please contact them as soon as possible.
Volunteering is another amazing way to make an impact.
Caring for these dogs is a full-time job and can be so rewarding, so please if you have some time and love dogs, volunteer and make a difference.
Heading To Thailand?
If you are planning a trip to Thailand, please contact them and see about visiting or volunteering.
Looks like lots of people have and are happy they did.
The reviews on Facebook of those that have traveled there have amazing things to say.
Frequently Asked Questions!
Is The Man That Rescues Dogs legitimate?
If you are unsure about donating because they are in another country, don’t be! The Man That Rescues Dogs is a legitimate and well respected organization. 5 out of 5 stars with over 1600 reviews on Facebook alone!
Where is The Man That Rescues Dogs located?
The organization is based in Chonburi, Thailand.
