Short Summary
We are looking for donors willing to help us open a much-needed no-kill dog shelter in Bangkok, Thailand.
In addition to giving stray dogs a home and find them new adoptive families, our planned shelter will provide veterinary treatment -- including neutering -- to our rescues.
Why a Dog Shelter?
We are a group of expatriate friends from Europe who have been living in Bangkok for years. One of the things that struck us when we first arrived in Thailand was the sheer number of stray dogs living in the streets of the Thai capital.
In addition to living a miserable life by scavenging for scraps in the tropical heat, these dogs are at risk of getting injured or dying from traffic accidents or from diseases.
Finally, almost no stray dog is neutered, which causes a constant growth of their population.
Why in Bangkok?
Despite being one of the largest cities in South-East Asia, Bangkok has very few dog shelters.
While other cities or areas in Thailand such as Chiang Mai, Phuket or Koh Chang have volunteer-run shelters for stray dogs, Bangkok's shelters are mostly government-run. And, like most government-run shelters in the world, they are underfunded and, to keep costs down, have to euthanize dogs that do not immediately get adopted.
Our Project
For the past decade, we have launched and successfully managed businesses in Thailand and we plan on applying our managerial skills to a non-profit shelter.
The USD 75,000 budget we are trying to raise on Indiegogo would allow us to do the following:
- Lease and transform an existing structure into a shelter that could house up to 80 dogs at a time. The structure in question was previously a bar/restaurant. Due to its unique architecture and adjoining land, we could turn it into a fully-functional dog shelter within six months.
- Lease a small van to transport dogs.
- Build a fully-equipped veterinary examination and treatment room. We are already in contact with Thai vets willing to donate their time to help treat and neuter our rescue dogs.
- Build a play area for daytime activities and a rest area for nighttime.
- Run the shelter for up to a year. This gives us the time to register our shelter as a charity and build a network of volunteers and donors.
The Shelter Process
This is the overall process our shelter will follow:
- Our team of local volunteers will help identify and locate dogs that are in urgent need of veterinary care. Those dogs will then be brought to our shelter.
- Dogs are treated for any medical issue they may have and are neutered to help control the population.
- We immediately start searching for families or individuals willing to adopt our new rescue. In the meantime, dogs are fed and cared for by our team of volunteers. During daytime, they are allowed to play and exercise in the large play area that will be built next to the shelter.
- Dogs that fail to get adopted stay indefinitely at our shelter.
FAQ
What happens if this campaign fails to reach its $75,000 goal?
This campaign uses flexible funding. In other words, we will collect donations even if we fail to reach our goal. Because $75,000 is the bare minimum amount we need to open a shelter, we will not open our own shelter if we fail to reach that amount. However, all the money collected will be donated to existing no-kill dog shelters in other areas of Thailand such as Phuket and Chiang Mai.
Perks will be fulfilled regardless of whether we reach our goal.
When will perks be sent?
The t-shirts and postcards will be sent within a 3-month period after the end of the campaign. The other perks will be fulfilled as soon as the shelter opens, which should be before the end of the year!
Can I still help even if I can't donate?
Sure! Just help us spread the word by sharing this campaign on social media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest!
