There is a common "rule" that pet owners have that states to not give dogs bones. While there might be some truth to this, particularly when it comes to chicken bones, we hand out uncooked bones on a regular basis to street dogs. A big reason for this is because we can get these bones for next to nothing from the markets and one butcher occasionally donates them to us. Cooked bones are much more likely to splinter than uncooked ones and this is a consideration that we keep in mind. We also tend to stay away from bones that are small and these bones are quite large. Despite their powerful jaws, the dogs are rarely able to crack these to pieces and instead chew on them for long stretches of time as they attempt to get every last little pieces of tasty meat off of them.
The main reason why we ignore the common held belief that you shouldn't give dogs bones is because according to our local veterinarians, there is very little chance of bad things happening with these particular dogs. You see, these dogs have not lived pampered lives and many of them will eat all sorts of things that a house-raised dog would probably get themselves in trouble with. The Tiger Cave Temple dogs have been digging through trash for many years, some of them their entire lives. These treats that we give them keep them busy for a while and make them very happy, so if we can bring some joy into an otherwise rather joyless existence, we are going to do that even if there is a slight chance of danger that comes along with it.
Not that anyone out there would, but if you see a dog on the street eating a bone resist your urges to "help it" by taking the bone away. This will almost certainly result in disaster for you as dogs can become violent if something is threatening their source of food. Even though I give them the bones I never take them away. They "like" me but would turn on me in a heartbeat if I was to try to take the bones back.
I also brought traditional chewy snacks for the other dogs that are there as well as some hot dogs for the ones that aren't in the greatest of health. I come bearing gifts of all sorts when I visit this temple.
One of the things I try to be absolutely certain of when I am visiting these dogs is to make sure that I have enough to go around. The last thing I want to do is accidentally start a fight because someone ends up being left out. Normally, when I arrive I have far more snacks than I actually need and some of the dogs get a round two. The larger males are normally given the biggest bones so that they will be kept busy with that for a long time.
We are at a point right now where we could potentially be facing a crisis of sorts because the rainy season indicates that the high season for tourists is at a low point for the year and unfortunately, this is where a majority of our donations come from. We have had to step back the amount of places that we are giving away food at for free and have reached out the local community to ask for help in getting these things so none of our "babies" have to go without.
In the meantime I do enjoy seeing all of their happy faces when I come bearing gifts week after week. Hopefully our upcoming fundraising drives will prove fruitful so that we don't have to cut back the aid we give even more. It's a shame that we have to do this, but it is part of the deal when you are a charity.
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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