"I thoroughly enjoyed myself during my stay, I met some amazing people, and had the opportunity to help the stray animals, which was very, very rewarding." - Frances
98% of PoD volunteers rate their experience as good or very good!
Home / Projects & Destinations / Thailand / Dog and Cat Care
Dog and Cat Care - Thailand
| Location | Koh Lanta island |
| Start dates | Flexible, any date |
| Duration | 4 weeks - 6 months |
| Availability |
Spaces available from June 2012 |
| Cost |
£495 one off fee |
| Discounts | £35 per person for friends / partners |
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Live on an amazing tropical island
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No experience required
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Work with a small local centre
Project details
Introduction
Help to care for dogs and cats (and a few other animals!) at our nursing and animal care centre on the island of Koh Lanta in Southern Thailand. The projects enables you to do hands on animal volunteering, while living an amazing lifestyle on this beautiful tropical island.
You do not need veterinary experience as you will be trained on the job. Many people are aware of the problems of stray dog and poor veterinary treatment of animals in Thailand, but few get to make a difference; this project provides you with this opportunity.
It is hard to imagine a more idyllic location than this tropical island. During your time volunteering, you can call it home.
Read what past volunteers have said about this project in our Thailand dog and cat care reviews.
A typical day
Each day will vary but you will get the opportunity to get involved in a range of work including the daily running and maintenance of the centres, cleaning, feeding and washing animals, walking the dogs, assisting with dog catching, giving medication and assisting with animal treatment, education programmes and just spending time getting to know and playing with the animals!
The location
Koh Lanta is a popular tourist destination near Phuket, the island is known for its long, sandy beaches and scuba diving. The geography of the island is typically mangroves, coral rimmed beaches and rugged tree covered hills. It also boasts 9 sandy beaches to enjoy! Koh Lanta has a natural, relaxed and laid back feel to it. There are plenty destinations on the tropical island for volunteers to explore on their days off including a national park, historic Chinese fishing village, mangroves, beaches and caves!
How you can make a difference
By volunteering at the centre, you will make a major contribution to the welfare of dogs, cats and other animals in Thailand.
On a personal level you will have the satisfaction of helping to make a positive difference to the lives of these animals and, in the process, gain new skills and knowledge, whilst working as part of an enthusiastic team.
What's included
- A comprehensive information booklet and pre-departure support
- Travel advice and assistance
- Animal training and supervision
- Accommodation on site at the centre (basic shared room) - or you can choose to stay in a resort at extra cost
- Ongoing support, help and advice from our local team
- Donation to the project
What else to budget for
The following items are not included and estimates are given as a guide for your budgeting: flights to Bangkok from the UK (£550-£650), visa (£45 if staying longer than 30 days), immunisations including Rabies (£100), travel insurance, food and personal spending (£50 per week).
More details
Background information about the project
The project was started in 2005 during the construction boom after the Tsunami. During the boom, construction workers came with their dogs but left them behind when the buildings were completed. In addition to this problem, the number of tourists feeding these dogs increased which resulted in their high survival and reproduction rates causing over population.
Support and induction
You will work with and be supported by the team at each centre and the local team is there to support you throughout your time at the project.
In your first few days you will receive introductions to the work of the centre and the tasks that you will be asked to do.
Other volunteers
There are usually 1-3 other volunteers but the project can take up to 6. Volunteers come from a range of backgrounds, nationalities and ages.
Volunteer accommodation and food
Basic shared accommodation is provided on-site at the centre or volunteers can choose to stay in a resort if they would prefer.
Meals are not included, but there are many restaurants and inexpensive eating out options.
Free time and travel opportunities
In your free time after work you can relax and enjoy the island and there is a lot to do on your day off (volunteers normally work 6 days per week). As well as stunning beaches, there is great snorkelling and diving, as well as jungle and chinese fishing village to explore. The island is a popular traveller destination and there is a good social scene with many bars and restaurants. Nightlife varies from relaxed bars on the beach to occasional dance parties and live reggae music concerts.
Challenges
The staff will do their best to inform you on what’s going on and what is expected of you; however there will be times when you have to use your own initiative to organise activities and locate resources or information. Things may be organised differently from back home and things might not always make sense. You should be open-minded, patient, willing to accept new things and be prepared to get stuck in.
It can also be very emotional work so you should try to be prepared for this.
No specific skills are required other than enthusiasm and a strong stomach!
Where your money goes and the PoD Charity
PoD is run as a non-profit organisation and does not receive any external funding. We charge a fee for all our placements to cover the overseas costs of volunteering and the costs of running our organisation in the UK. Fee levels are set to match costs (on a non-profit basis) and any surplus monies are distributed to the overseas organisations and charities we work with via the PoD Charity.
For over 10 years PoD has been providing volunteers to help charitable projects around the world. The PoD Charity was established in 2010 to build on this success by also providing financial assistance. Find out more and get involved in fundraising for this project through the PoD Charity.
PoD UK Manager
Gemma in the PoD UK team looks after this project so if you apply you will hear from her soon!
Other projects you might also be interested in....
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Wildlife Rescue Thailand |
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Horse Rehabilitation South Africa |
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Elephant Care Thailand |
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All animal projects |
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WHY VOLUNTEER WITH PoD?
We are passionate about volunteering and are dedicated to providing well supported projects where there is genuine 2 way benefit.
What our volunteers say...
Country facts: Thailand
Population:
approx 65 million
Capital:
Bangkok
Time zone:
GMT + 7 hrs
Currency:
Baht (THB)
Phone code:
+ 66
Visa:
required for stays of over 30 days
Health & Safety:
click here for the latest UK government travel advice
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FAMILY VOLUNTEER PROJECTS
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