I can't speak for the rest of the world, because I have not lived in very much of it. It is my understanding though, that veterinarian care is generally very inexpensive outside of western countries where almost anything is really expensive.
We recently did an internal audit and tried to convey to our donors exactly what their money is being used for. We use very little of our donations for internal salaries because most of our staff are volunteers.
The costs vary of course depending on the needs at the time but for the most part treating and helping stray and homeless dogs in Thailand is remarkably inexpensive.
The first thing we need to address is the most important one: Sterilization. We all love puppies but the excessive amount of them that are all over the place in Thailand is without question the number one cause of the overall suffering of stray dogs in Thailand as well as the rest of the world. 1st world countries tend to have animal control of some sort but not in Thailand. They simply do not have the resources to have a department like this and while I do believe that they could do something, they do not out of lack of funds. Therefore, outside of very generous dates where the Royal Family provides free veterinarian care for the entire nation, people are left to their own devices and resources to care for dogs with no owners.
Since a vast majority of Thailand is quite poor, even at these low costs, a lot of these things are not done.
A standard sterilization for a female dog costs around 1200 Baht or just above $40. This is not some side of the road clinic either, this is a professional and highly-trained surgeon who can perform this surgery in less than 15 minutes. According to the vets I have spoken to, this is an extremely simple and almost risk-free operation as well.
We get the sterilizations for slightly less because we are a non-profit charity, but this is the price someone would pay if they just walked in the door. That is remarkably cheap and it makes me wonder if the vets are just doing it out of concern for the dog population and not to enrich themselves.
A sterilization for a male dog is considerably cheaper but is not something we often engage in because we have limited funds.
Pet food is very cheap in Thailand as well. I'm not going to comment on whether or not high priced brands have any real benefits or not because I don't know. I just know that since we have limited money we don't buy those brands. We figure that having some food in a dog's belly is better than having none.
To feed a medium sized dog costs around $2 a week using the brand of food that we use which is produced in Thailand and is by no means a fancy brand. Again, I have no idea if the higher priced dog foods like Royal Canin have the benefits that they claim but for us that is so far beyond our budgetary abilities that we have never investigated it. A belly with food in it is better than one with none.
To treat horrible skin and parasite problems and diseases, costs around $5. This treatment needs only to be applied once in many cases and the minimum amount of time that he animal will be protected is 90 days. Since parasites tend to replicate primarily on the host, it is often the case that this level of protection will exist long beyond that. The 90-day claim on the boxes is probably some sort of legal requirement for western countries attempting to avoid lawsuits. For those 90 days it is not possible for parasites to make the dog or cat's body a home. Even once the medication has worn off it will be a while before they can be badly re-infested, if it happens at all.
$5 to change an animal's life for the better. That's not a lot of money is it?
I think that for many people living in western countries that there is an assumption that animal care is really expensive and it is easy to understand why. I recall when I was living back in my home country that a trip to the vet for any reason was basically a guaranteed hundred dollar visit and this doesn't mean that western vets are greedy although I am sure a lot of them are. This price increase is just something called "economies of scale" and it relates to a lot of things like staff salary, taxes, and regulations. Here in Thailand, most clinics have a vet and MAYBE a single assistant apprentice many of which are interns and aren't even being paid. Taxes are very low as are rents on buildings so there is no reason for things to be expensive here.
The money goes a long way in Thailand and if you live in a country with a similar economic layout, there is a good chance it is extremely cheap where you live as well.
So if you see an animal in need or even more importantly, a female dog that constantly has new puppies, maybe consider reaching into your own pocket and helping them out. That little bit of sacrifice on your part can dramatically change the life of the cat or dog in question.
If you would like to see how you can help out or simply spread the word, please visit our website at
http://krabianimalwelfare.org
Krabi Animal Welfare is a charity run entirely by volunteers and are a registered non-profit organization in Thailand and the U.K.. We aim to relieve the pain and suffering of dogs and cats within Krabi Province.
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