Shocking Conditions Revealed at Thailand Dog Shelter

A recent PETA Asia investigation has unearthed shocking conditions in a “shelter” in Pattaya, Thailand, called Tony’s Shelter. This facility confines animals to filthy conditions and fails to provide them with even basic veterinary care. Tourists travelling to Pattaya or elsewhere in the country would be horrified to know about the shocking manner in which animals at this so-called “shelter” are treated. A recent inspection of the facility by PETA Asia revealed the following:

WARNING: SHOCKING PHOTOS FOLLOW

• A dog who was unable to walk had at least two broken bones protruding through the skin on his legs and was left to die on the concrete floor of a pen with several other dogs. A kind-hearted visitor to the shelter tried to take the dog to a local veterinarian, but the dog died before he could be moved from the facility.
• A sick-looking newborn puppy lay on the floor of a filthy, mud-soaked pen crowded with adult dogs and was not moved until PETA Asia’s inspector demanded that the puppy and her mother be transferred to a clean cage and separated from other adult dogs immediately.
• A dog with a gaping wound on his shoulder was confined to a cage with several other dogs and was apparently given no treatment for his injuries.
• A dog who had a fresh surgical scar on her side was kept on a mud floor in an enclosure with five or six other dogs, greatly increasing her risk of infection.

Frequent complaints from shelter visitors have reported incidents ranging from puppies who were eaten by starving adult dogs (because the puppies and their mothers are not separated from other dogs) to dogs who were castrated with elastic bands. A dog with a prolapsed uterus and another with a maggot-infested wound on his paw were left untreated. Emaciated dogs suffering from severe mange were confined to mud-filled pens littered with piles of excrement and rotten food. Frequent rain makes the pens impossible to clean.

Unfortunately, even with routine inspections by PETA Asia over the past several years and its continued efforts to work with the animal shelter’s owner – a wealthy local businessperson – and government officials, conditions at the shelter have actually worsened. Local government and tourism officials turn a blind eye to the suffering of the animals at Tony’s Shelter, and the government of Pattaya continues to bring stray animals to the facility.

Thailand is among the top destinations for UK tourists, but there are no laws in Thailand requiring that dogs be treated humanely (even in animal shelters). You can help by taking action on PETA Asia’s action alert, calling on the ambassador in your country to intervene on behalf of the animals at Tony’s Shelter.