Bodhi Dog Rescue and Shelter

What is Bodhi Dog Rescue and Shelter, and what is the mission?

Bodhi Dog Rescue and Shelter is both a rescue and a shelter located in Wat Sophon Wanaram, a Thai temple on the east coast of Phuket. An NGO, funded solely with donations, is on a mission to help every animal we can. We are a no-kill organisation.

We rescue, get vet treatment, heal, sterilise, vaccinate and shelter until they find a home. To date, we have rehomed 569 dogs around the world.

We also feed and treat dogs in the community and support people with animals when they can’t afford food, medication or vet treatments.

About Tina, who runs Bodhi Dog Rescue and Shelter

Tell us a bit about you, what brought you from Australia to Thailand, and how the idea of the shelter started. Why did you choose to open at Wat Sophon Wanaram?

In 2004, my ex and I came to Thailand in our search for a boat. We bought a 60′ luxury yacht fisher and did a 4 year refit on it. In 2008, we had moved onto the boat and began a life of spontaneous trips. We travelled back and forth to Perth, but spent the majority of time here. My life was very nice, with travelling, lunches, massages, trips.

In 2010, we had some friends come to visit from Australia and decided to do a trip to Ranong and across to Myanmar for a visa run and fun night at the casino. On the way, I saw what I thought was a large leaf in the middle of the oncoming lane, and for some reason, I looked back after I saw a vehicle pass over it. I saw it turn over and little legs, it was an animal!

I screamed at my partner to stop, and I ran back to it. Someone else stopped and had picked what turned out to be a 6 week old puppy up by the leg. I was horrified, it was covered in large red ants, including in its eyes. I asked if the guy was taking the pup to the vet, and no response, so I took the pup from him.

We called a friend in Phuket to ask where the closest vet was, and he said about 20km back, in Takua Pa. We headed straight there as I picked the ants off him.

No broken bones, luckily, but weak from starvation. I got a syringe from the vet and bought a bottle of Yakult, which I slowly fed him on the way. He was so weak, he couldn’t hold his head up.

About Wat Sophon Wanaram

Wat Sopon Wanaram (Wat Pa Klok) is a local Buddhist temple located in the Pa Klok subdistrict, on the eastern side of Phuket, on the way to Bang Pae Waterfall. Surrounded by trees and set slightly away from the main roads, the temple grounds are calm and mostly frequented by residents of the area. The layout is typical of southern Thai temples, with an ordination hall, monk residences, and a sermon hall set around a central courtyard. Read more