Monday 12 November 2012

A wasp sting and a fat face

We got back from out morning run and Aurora jumped up onto her corner of the couch as she usually does. I took her lead and harness off and started to wash the dishes in the sink. I then heard, maybe 15 minutes later, the washing machine finish. I started to unload the clothes and as usual, Aurora came out to join me in the wash house. I was occupied doing my domestic duties but I heard her drink from her water bowl and then I looked down.
Her face had swollen up and it looked terribly heavy and sore. I dropped everything in my hands and instantly started to panic. I didn’t need to look down at her again before I was in vet mode. It ran through my mind that you have 30 minutes to get to a vet if it is a snake bite. As I ran out to open the gate she trotted out with me and jumped into the car, excited to be heading out. As we drove to the closest vets, a mere five minutes away, she jumped around the car as usual. At least her spirits were up and she didn’t seem sick. She rolled around on the back seat trying to scratch her poor fat head against it. She lent her head on my shoulder for a moment as we stopped at the lights and I glanced at her face again. It was so swollen and her skin was so stretched that her hair stood on its ends and her eyes were little slits.


I hurried from the car into the vets with no shoes on and Aurora in my arms. As she is a staffy cross fox terrier I thought the lady may think her head was meant to be that fat. She asked me what was wrong and I struggled not to cry as I had no idea what was happening. “Her head is fat,” I told the receptionist.
She sent me into a room where the vet nurse came and talked to us and I started to calm down. She said it seemed like a bite of some sort and she would probably just need a needle and some rest and she would recover. There was no need to panic as there would be no permanent danger. Aurora strolled around the room shaking her head and sometimes sitting on the floor to try and scratch her face but her spirits were still up. The poor thing looked like her big bobble head was extremely sore and uncomfortable.
The vet came in and he explained that he thought the bite was on her mouth, most probably from a wasp. He gave her two needles and the patient was ordered to rest. The swelling on her face had receded within a couple of hours but her nose was swollen until the next day.
My partner was ordered to mow the lawn as soon as he got home and there has never been an incident since. There is not a lot you can do to stop this from happening as little mischievous dogs will chase wasps and cause trouble but the lawn was a start. Be sure to always take your pet straight to the vet if their face begins to swell as you never know what it could be. In the case of a snake bite, try to get a photo or remember what the snake looks like and you have 30 minutes to get to the vet for the anti venom. We were lucky it was just a wasp.

Me and my wolf pack
Alyce, Aurora and Dex

Sunday 11 November 2012

Bonnie & Mack: Good mates now together for life!

By Alyce Beard
‘Bonnie’ is a sweet,  two year old brindle staffy cross who was abandoned by her original owner and later surrendered to the care of the AWLQ after her new owner was unable to care for her.
She arrived at the AWLQ Gold Coast rehoming centre in June, 2012, where she was health checked, micro chipped and made available for rehoming.
 ‘Mack’ is a beautiful one year old white and tan staffy cross who came into our care after he was picked up as a stray in August.
These two deserving dogs shared a pen together and began their patient journey waiting to be picked by someone to become a new member of the family.
Meanwhile in Beaudesert, Chris and Trina had settled into their newly married life and after a year  were ready to adopt a dog into their family. One of the guests at their wedding was a staff member from the AWLQ who had given them a $100 voucher for use at one of the three rehoming facilities we operate on the Gold Coast, Ipswich and Beenleigh.
They visited the Gold Coast rehoming centre and took both ‘Bonnie’ and ‘Mack’ into an exercise yard to see which dog would be best suited for their family.  They were torn as they were attracted to both of these lovely dogs who had also formed a close bond with each other after living together at the shelter whilst waiting for their 2nd chance, so they made the decision to adopt them both.
These two friendly and deserving dogs are now happily sharing their new lives with Chris and Trina in Beaudesert and the AWLQ thanks them for opening their hearts and  home to these two beautiful spirits.
For 53 years (since 1959) the AWLQ has been a part of Queensland ‘s families and we have rehomed over 130,000 animals into the homes of those families during our history.  We thank the residents of Southeast Queensland for always ‘choosing to adopt’ and for their ongoing financial donations to the AWLQ.

Shelter Dogs having fun at the Beach

A team of dedicated volunteers take the Animal Welfare League Queensland long term dogs to the beach three times a week. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday they load up two vans of shelter dogs and take them out for some much needed fresh air. Then they come back and do it all over again with another load of eager canines.

The following is written by Alyce, a volunteer who had her first beach walking experience today

At 8am we load up the vans with six beautiful dogs, well deserving of a morning run on the beach.  We arrive at Shearwater Park in Runaway Bay where we are met with some other volunteers. We unload and head out into the beautiful warm morning sun.
One of the volunteers, Adam, halters up the big Irish wolfhound x bull mastiff, Lennox, and they are off and running accompanied by Lennox’s pen mate Kirra an Australian cattle dog x Border collie.


Before long the two playful dogs are down in the sand and the water. Lennox is beyond excited to be out and about and absolutely loves the water. Adam follows Lennox in; unaware that Lennox just keeps going. Sue makes the remark that Lennox would’ve kept swimming to Lennox Heads if we let him.

Kirra however was a little unsure of the water. She loved frolicking where it was shallow but wouldn’t follow Lennox into the deeper water, where Adam was in up to his waist, shoes on and everything. Luckily the weather and the water are getting warmer
Also out for the morning was three greyhounds from the shelter, Jimmy and brother and sister combo Tess and Frankie.

Greyhounds have beautiful temperaments and although most think they need a lot of exercise, a daily walk will suffice.

All three of the AWLQ greyhounds walk beautifully on the lead and have great natures.




The volunteers do a wonderful job but Jimmy, Tess and Frankie would love to go for walks with their new owners which they can call their own.

They have stayed at the shelter long enough and are eager to spend their nights curled up on someone’s couch.
Tigger, a Cairn Terrier, also accompanied us out to the beach. He is a long term shelter dog who often gets overlooked.

Tigger can be a bit cheeky and marked his territory on his walking volunteer buddy. He walks beautifully on the lead so is a shame to send him back to the shelter environment which dogs find very stressful.



I got to walk Lilly a beautiful black Australian Kelpie x Bull Terrier. Lilly’s eyes lit up at the sight of the beach and she was eager to investigate her surroundings. She was a great dog to walk but did pull a little on the lead but some training or regular walks would easily keep her in check. She had a few burst of energy where we ran from the shade of a tree to the shade of another tree where she then collapsed for a rest.

Lilly, like all the others were more than excited to be out of the shelter environment and enjoying the sun and the company of others. We hope desperately that they all find a loving home to call their own.

The Best Personal Trainer is your Dog


by Alyce Beard (September 2012)
Want to get fit and start a new healthy lifestyle? Are you suffering from some extra bulge this winter? Are you struggling with whether or not to commit to joining a gym and paying their excessive fees? Have you ever looked at the price of getting a personal trainer and been shocked?
Well struggle with this decision no longer as the best personal trainer is a dog and there are plenty waiting at rescue shelters around Australia waiting to be adopted.
The best way to start a new healthy lifestyle is to go for a walk. Pick a style and pace that suits you best and decide who you want to walk with you. Once you have fully dedicated yourself to a new healthy lifestyle then swing by a shelter or visit their websites and match your new fitness regime with the perfect personal trainer with four legs. A great website to check out is http://www.petrescue.com.au/rescue_directory/QLD for links to rescue websites and dogs available for adoption.
There will be no excuses once your dog has learnt the word ‘walkies.’ You won’t be able to say no to that excited happy face and wagging tail staring between you and the door with the lead in his mouth. Therefore the best motivational tool for your own fitness is to ensure that your dogs’ is maintained.
Regular exercise will improve you and your dog’s health as well as giving you some quality time together and having some fun. A walk is good for your cardiovascular fitness, blood pressure, muscles and your bones. Regular walks are also good for stress relief and social skills, for both you and your dog. As well as physical benefits for your dog, walks can also reduce aggressive behaviour, reduce stress related behaviours and improve mental stimulation.  
All dogs will benefit from regular walks but there are certain breeds that thrive from it. If you are a committed health freak (or soon to be) working breeds like the Australia Kelpie, Cattle Dog and Border Collies are all exceptional running buddies. Be sure however to plan before you decide to rescue any dog as you need to be 100% committed.
As soon as you have mastered the trip around the block feel free to expand and take your new personal trainer to bigger and better places, like off leash dog parks or beaches in your local area.
Dog Friendly Parks on the Gold Coast
“Dog Island,” Elanora
Schuster Park, Tallebudgera Creek
Frascott Park, Varsity Lakes
Albert Park, Broadbeach Waters
Rosser Park, Benowa
Musgrave Park, Southport
Burchill Park, Nerang
Pizzey Park, Miami
Designated Areas of the Following Beaches are Dog Friendly
Palm Beach/Currumbin Creek
Tallebudgera
The Southport Spit

A brief history of the Animal Welfare League of Queensland

by Alyce Beard (October 2012)
Pets are part of the family in 63% of Australian households, making Australia one of the highest countries in the world for pet ownership (2010). Also of those Australians who do not own a pet, 53 % would like to in the future. It is because of this that animal welfare organisations started popping up all over Australia. Although the correct treatment of animals was becoming accepted in 1959 the Animal Welfare League of Queensland appeared because of a group of concerned animal lovers. The group protested about the inhumane treatment of dogs that were inside the local pounds. If a dog was not collected from the pound within 48 hours it was taken to the Council dump and shot.
Neil Anderson became the first president of the animal welfare group. First it was known as the ‘Animal Protection League,’ then ‘The Animal Welfare and Protection League,’ before finally becoming known as the Animal Welfare League of Queensland Inc. Among the members of the group were Neil’s wife, Mavis Anderson and community members Frank Hollsopple, his dog Chippy and Bobby Schucard. The group’s main objective at the time was to get the dogs off the streets and in homes or in their shelter where they would be safe from the fate that awaited them at the pound.  

Neil is still alive today and has recently celebrated his 90th birthday, his daughter, Denise Bradley is now CEO.
Neil grew up in Bundaberg and as a young boy he delivered newspapers. As he would go about the streets a young scruffy street dog would often follow him. One day Neil left his gate open and when he returned the little dog was sitting on the porch with his father. The dog, named Bluey became part of the family. Since that day Neil has always had a rescue dog by his side.
The Animal Welfare League of Queensland’s history starts with the founding members working hard to construct a shelter on a plot of land leased to them from the local Council on Pine Ridge Road, Paradise Point. The sanctuary’s first pens consisted of wire netting and packing cases for the animals. The League had constant support from the community and from the Council and they opened their first opportunity shop within a year of the groups operation. The ‘op’ shop was opened in Southport and is now one of eight which are open around South East Qld which help raise funds for the AWLQ.

Neil Anderson was also awarded an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in June 1990 for his work within the community, mainly the Animal Welfare League and the Southport R.S.L. The Southport Newsletter reported that ‘the time and effort that he has put in to helping our community has been recognised.’
The AWLQ boomed in the ever expanding city of the Gold Coast and has now become a re-homing and education centre which specializes in the care, shelter and re-homing of cats and dogs but also focuses on community awareness and education. The Gold Coast re-homing centre is the largest of the three AWLQ centres in QLD, including Beenleigh and a newly opened Ipswich. When combined, the shelters now care for 15,000 animals every year. The Coombabah centre, on Shelter Road, is next to the Gold Coast City Council (GCCC) pound and the two work closely together providing care for stray animals during their impound period and taking them on when unclaimed. There is also an AWLQ veterinary clinic attached to the shelter which provides vet care for animals within the community. The AWLQ receives no Government funding so relies heavily on the community for financial support. Volunteers also take up a large, and most valuable chunk of the shelters staffing structure.  

In 1985 the AWLQ was forced to relocate because ‘residential development had been closing in on the old site and complaints had been made to the council about the noise.’ The sanctuary however only moved a few miles back onto the current site. The area was first closed to the public but has since become known as Shelter Road. The new site ‘mostly financed by the Gold Coast City Council’ was reported by The Gold Coast Bulletin in December 1985 that it was ‘terrific but they need more kennels.’ The AWLQ has always struggled to find the funding for what they ideally need to rehome and care for all the cats and dogs of a large city but large donations have been made throughout its history.   
One of the founding members, Bobby Schucard left a large bequest in her will which funded the current veterinary building. Also in 1995 Hazel and John Dodd donated $1 million which built the current refuge, headquarters and new vet clinic. The sanctuary finally had enough funds to expand again in 2006 and they built their current administration block including the human resource and marketing officers and education department. In a Gold Coast Sun article Zoe Hermans, public relations and education officer for AWLQ said ‘We were given a generous bequest and that has allowed us to expand.’
In 2004 Denise Bradley, Neil’s daughter, was nominated for Gold Coast Honours for her continued work in animal welfare. The article announcing her nomination in the Gold Coast Bulletin said ‘Denise has been nominated in the community category  for her years of work at the difficult job of finding homes for pre-loved pets.’ Denise took over the reins at the AWLQ in 1998, she did not follow straight from her Dad as someone else was the President between his departure and when Denise took over. Neil however still remains on the committee board to this day. ‘Since [Denise] took over as president, the centre has tripled the number of unwanted cats which are found new homes and more than doubled the number of rehomed dogs.’

There have been many milestones in the AWLQ history, one which is important is the changing of the Veterinary Surgeons Act in 2001. The AWLQ ‘spent many years lobbying the State Government to make changes to the Veterinary Surgeons Act to enable animal welfare groups such as ours to provide veterinary assistance to the public.’ With the new Act in place the AWLQ was able to open and expand their vet clinic to help the communities dogs and also raise more money for their ongoing animal welfare work. The Veterinary Clinic was a major success when it opened in 1992 and it still operates today.
The euthanasia of healthy domestic animals has been something the AWLQ has had to deal with since it opened in 1959. For a long time there was no answer to the pet overpopulation problem and many animals saw a tragic end to their lives. ‘Hundreds of cats and kittens are being put down because the Animal Welfare League at Coombabah cannot cope with the intake of unwanted or dumped pets.’ This took a strain on many of the staff but they never lost hope in their dream of zero euthanasia. Luckily thanks to a dedicated and informative education program as well as a constant push for the desexing of all pets the AWLQ succeeded in zero euthanasia of healthy and treatable animals in 2009 and they have maintained it to this day. Zoe Hermans said ‘the best way to deal with the pet overpopulation crisis is to teach future generations  about caring responsibly for their animals.’ Their G2Z, ‘Getting to  Zero,’ model has even been adopted in shelters all over the world. The AWLQ was the first shelter in Australia, that deals with a whole cities cats and dogs, to reach zero euthanasia. The G2Z ‘program combines many different projects, all playing their part’ including discounted desexing and microchipping at their vet clinic, their education program and of course rehoming.  
On the 27 of February 2010 a fire ripped through the AWLQ only storage facility. Here the AWLQ had archived all its documents and unfortunately all was lost in the fire. As well as the printed history as they knew it, the AWLQ also lost all items stored there for their op shops. It was a devastating day for Denise and the entire community.
Hopefully this paper will help the AWLQ and help the community remember their rich history, from where it started, who started it and obstacles they have overcome.

Helping the Australian Fruit Bats

By Alyce Beard (April 2011)
‘NO THROUGH ROAD.’ Stupid Google maps! Luckily, with a little perseverance, I get to my destination in the nick of time. 118 Narrowleaf Road has a very long driveway. It even includes a ‘Watch out for animals’ sign and just as well because I come across many of them. The largest ducks I have ever seen crowd the driveway along with a few peacocks and a chicken. As I graciously swerve around them, avoiding the ditch, I make my way up the last 100 metres and park my car beside a goat and a rooster. I wonder if there are actually any fruit bats here or not.
I am here to met the underdog of Australia wildlife which rarely gets appreciated. The Advancetown Clinic is one of the few places that tries to help these cute little animals. The Australian Gray, Black and Red headed fruit bats are in danger of losing their natural habitat because of deforestation and lack of food. They also took a huge hit recently with the January floods which devastated Queensland. The mother bats, normally very nurturing and caring creatures, abandoned their young. The real reason is unknown but Trish Wimberly says it could of been a natural instinct because they knew that danger was coming and that they would be unable to support their pups.

Trish Wimberly and her husband Terry are the owner/operators of the Advancetown Bat Clinic (ABC) and they couldn’t be happier with how they’re spending their precious time and money. They believe they are the voice of the little guys who can’t speak for themselves. In the ten years the clinic has been running they average 1000 rescued animals a year and save up to ten bats a day. Both Trish and Terry have spent countless hours in classrooms around the world with the thirst to increase their knowledge and do the best possible job.  Trish meets me out on the wrap-around veranda in between a cockatoo and a wallaby. She is a small hearty lady with a big bat necklace and gold bat ring. Trish is one of those women Australia needs to help sustain our wildlife.
After quick introductions Trish leads me down to check out her most prized possession, her bats. She leads me off the veranda, down some stone steps, past a peacock and ending up at a cage, around 3 metres by 5 metres and two feet taller than my head. There is a bunch of around fifty bats at the far end, basking in the sun, which Trish says is a favourite thing for them to do. They start walking upside down towards us on the roof of their cage, they look both eager and friendly. A small gray headed bat basically attaches himself to Trish and snuggles into her chest within minutes. As I stroke its soft head more bats hover towards us. She puts the little guy back on the roof and we head down to another cage, with many compartments and many more bats. These ones were rescued from the floods and are now fit and healthy and due to be released within the next week. I stand up on a chair to get a good look at one of the biggest bats, Trish tells me his name is Luna and unlike the rest of the rescued bats he was actually a research Bat which insists on returning to the Clinic every time released.
Back on the veranda Trish talks to me about why these bats are so important to human existence and what issues they are facing. The Australian Fruit bats and flying foxes are extremely important to our ecosystem. They are the sole pollinator of the Eucalyptus tree and without this iconic Australian plant there would also be no Koalas. As the Eucalyptus is the Koalas only food source. Also many of the fruit and vegetables we enjoy in such abundance today would not exist without the help of the Fruit bats. Things such as bananas, peaches, avocados , mango's and dates would disappear. They are also very important to the timber industry. The fruit bats long distance pollination is what produces strong timber so without it the Australia timber industry would not be as reliable.

Trish tells me about her passion for bats and how much she enjoys helping them but wishes they didn’t have to experience these problems. Trish speaks fondly of how bats have been around over 55 million years and therefore have learnt how to adapt. Unfortunately due to Australian tree clearing, which exceeded the Amazon in the 90’s and it is still a steep statistic today, is making it hard for fruit bats to sustain their lives. Trish says that is the reason we are finding Fruit bats in our backyards because they are in desperate need for food. Last year they were even travelling as far as Tasmania and South Australia in an anxious search for food.
I also spoke to the president of Bat Conservation and Rescue QLD Inc and she told me that their 24 hour rescue phone line received over 2000 calls last year. They, along with Trish, are constantly called out to rescue injured fruit bats. Their injuries differ from domestic animals attacks, caught in barbed wire and getting hit by cars. This is because the bats are doing whatever it takes to find food.
As I prepare to leave Trish heads off to spend hours cutting up fruit. The self funded Australian Bat Clinic is thanks to the hard work and dedication Trish and her husband have put in to help the Australian Fruit bat. I see why Trish’s personal mission is ‘I create a world that can change through my passion, wisdom, courage and example.’
If you are interested in helping please donate to the Bat Conservation and Rescue inc on the website www.bats.org.au

The story of one womans journey to save thousands of dog's on the streets of Thailand (Soi Dog Foundation)

by Alyce Beard (June 2011)
Can you imagine going to a country and seeing helpless, hungry dogs wondering the streets? Some may have owners that let them wonder around aimlessly but they are rarely seen socialising with their ‘pets.’ Other street dogs may have nowhere to go, no one to feed them, no one to love them and no one to care for them. This is the image Gill Dalley faced daily when visiting the streets of Thailand. She would see one dog here cowering under a table, another begging for food around the corner and then maybe even one sunning himself on the side of a busy road. She found some in dumpsters, on the beach and in overcrowded temples. Sometimes they may be friendly as they know she may harbour food for them and they are desperately hungry. They may also want affection in the form of a kind tourist’s hand. However sometimes they are viscous, anxious for food and territorial of their patch of pavement. Gill almost lost her life trying to help them.

They are called Soi dogs, Soi meaning street or alley. The overpopulation problem can be caused by the dominant religion in Thailand. The Muslim religion does not believe in de-sexing their dogs and now there is a huge problem on the streets of Thailand with around 30 000 dogs in Phuket alone. Although Temples are safe havens for some soi dogs and the monks administer general care. There is sometimes up to thirty dogs in a single temple.
Gill and her husband John retired from the UK, to their favourite holiday destination of Thailand in 2003. They in visioned relaxing on the beaches, exploring the islands, shopping at local markets and above all retiring. However the beautiful paradise quickly turned into something sinister.
Retiring couldn’t seem further from their objective now. When first arriving the lively couple decided to do something that would help the community as John says they were still ‘relatively young.’ They first intended to teach English and work in education to help the poor community in Phuket but the couple soon discovered that virtually nothing was being done to help the stray dogs in Thailand. They decided to focus on that, as they both had a love for animals.
Gill, John and a Dutch lady, Margot, started up the Soi Dog Foundation soon after arriving in Thailand. The trio’s mission was to contribute to solving the plight of the street dogs as well as feral cats in Thailand. They were to focus mainly on sterilising the street dogs to try and stop the overpopulation on the streets. The small clinic the foundation set up in the city soon became inundated with dogs so they decided they needed a shelter. They started renting some land and built a shelter and a vet clinic to assist in meeting their goals which also included vaccinating dogs. They now own half the land where the shelter is and have over 250 dogs that are waiting to be re-homed, sometimes even internationally. Although around 10% of their dogs will have to stay at the shelter for the rest of their lives as they were so badly mistreated by people that they cannot be re-homed. The shelter is located in Phuket but Soi Dog also runs a mobile vet clinic which they set up at schools where they educate the community and sterilise the local dogs. The education program intents to change the attitudes of the next generation in regards to responsible pet ownership. Gill tells the young students that animals need the same treatment as they do so hopefully the children will relate.
It was a demanding job, both physically and mentally for all parties involved, with long hours spent catching dogs and returning them and caring for the sick or injured. However it was soon to come to a halt within just a year after the foundation had been running. A terrible incident was about to occur that could jeopardise not just the foundation but someone’s life. Gill, John and Margot were working at a mobile clinic set up at a school in September 2004. Everyone was kept busy with the high demand of sterilising hundreds of dogs in a single day. Gill was out catching dogs to be brought back to the clinic when she spotted one asleep nearby. She used a blow dart to sedate the large dog as she knew she could not carry it otherwise. After the dog was startled by the blow dart to her thigh, she skidded out into a flooded buffalo field. Gill knew the sedative would settle in soon and the dog could drown. She did not want to have the dog’s death on her conscious when she knew she was perfectly capable of saving it, so without hesitating she went straight in after her. The water was 18 inches deep and up to her knees. It was murky brown and had a strong odour. Gill could see the dog starting to sway as the sedative started to kick in. She got to the dog just before the poor thing’s head was about to go under the water. Gill then struggled to carry the 20kg dog back to her truck and was exhausted when she finally reached it. Once recovered Gill drove the dog to the clinic where volunteer vets sterilised and vaccinated her. The big dog was returned home as soon as she regained consciousness.
The days following continued as normal until Gill began to feel unwell. She at first, selflessly, put it down to the flu and no-one was to worry. Although it was within another two days that it became severely worse. John saw his wife in utter agony and immediately drove her to the closest hospital. Gill explains it as ‘excruciating pain’ and she’d ‘never felt anything like it.’ At the hospital she was placed on a table in the emergency room and as she lay in pain John says they ‘watched her legs turn blue.’ She doesn’t remember anything else for the next four weeks.
An anxious John was by her side every minute waiting for signs of a positive recovery. Gill spent four days in intensive care in Phuket and was then flown to Bangkok for further treatment. John was told by Gill’s doctors that she had ‘at best’ a one in twenty chance of survival. They also told him it was likely that she was to lose both her arms and both her legs if she was to survive. A devastated John also had to watch his wife get resuscitated more than once. Fortunately Gill lost only her legs and is grateful to be both alive and with both her arms. A recovering Gill flew back home on the 22nd of December 2004 as she was determined to cook Christmas dinner for her family and friends.
Gill had been infected with a rare bacteria and as a result she had gone into septic shock where the blood from her arms and legs had rushed to try and save her vital organs. The infection was a type of septicaemia or gangrene which is a water-soil based bacteria which does not need a cut to enter the body. It can enter through your pores or toe nails. Gill was also suffering from a broken rib and the emotional trauma of losing her father that same year. However she was aware of the mental and physical battle awaiting her, she said she ‘cried for about five minutes’ and then concentrated on getting back to work.
Then another blow in Gill and John’s paradise. It was in the form of a deadly tsunami. Gill’s close friend Leonie worked for Soi Dogs and focused on the south of Phuket. She called John at the hospital every day whilst Gill was there. She was a loyal, loving friend and a kind hearted person. Leonie owned a house on Kao Lak beach. She heard about the tsunami and quickly went to warn the tenants of her house. They survived because of Leonie’s determination to save them but unfortunately she didn’t.

Gill was devastated when she heard about her friend’s death. She had been so supportive of Gill and there was now nothing Gill could do to help her. However Gill has a determined attitude and she tried to think positively about the situation. Gill organised herself and John to head down to Kao Lak the next day to help out anyway they could. Gill was still in a wheelchair waiting for prosthetic legs but that did not stop her from helping the locals. She spent her time in Kao Lak counselling the injured survivors in the local hospital. John said he spent his time ‘wrapping up bodies.’
Gill and John also focused on the soi dogs of Kao Lak and surrounding devastated areas during this time. The tsunami effected many street dogs, as their main food source was gone. This was in the form of washed away restaurants which used to leave scraps for the hungry dogs. The world stepped in to help Thailand during this devastating natural disaster. Luckily for Soi Dogs this meant they received a grant and 50 volunteer vets. This enabled Gill and John to continue their work as it was put on hold during Gill’s recovery.
Today Gill has a set of new prosthetic legs and even though she spent nine painstaking months learning to walk again she continues to stay focused on helping the unwanted dogs of Thailand. The Soi Dog Foundation has sterilised a whopping 32 000 dogs since the foundation started eight years ago. The foundation also works on about 50 new cases every day. It is also thanks to the foundation vaccinating dogs against rabies that Phuket is now a rabies free province of Thailand. They also continue to save dogs from horrific conditions. It is common for Gill and John to come across poisoned dogs, puppies in plastic bags in the middle of the road and also dogs with machete wounds to the head. Their main focus is to see no street dogs in Thailand.
Also Gill was awarded the Asian of the year award in 2009 for her outstanding work with soi dogs. She was the first non-Asian to be nominated.
The Soi Dog Foundation is a registered charity in many countries around the world including Australia. Debbie Mole the Australian Representative for the Soi Dog Foundation says John and Gill are ‘amazing people.’ Debbie helps raise funds for the Soi Dog foundation in Australia with fundraisers such as movie and quiz nights as well as collection boxes in Thai restaurants, vets and pet shops. Unfortunately due to Australia’s strict laws it is extremely difficult for dogs to be re-homed into Australia. The process would take just under a year of quarantine for the dog and could cost up to $5000. Luckily many dogs have been re-homed into the United States, Denmark, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Sweden and local Phuket.
A phrase spoken by Mahatma Gandhi is written on the Soi Dog website, it reads ‘The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.’