Lithuanian couple cares for Thai doggos
Images adapted from: Mantas Pralgauskas
Many dog lovers often daydream about living in a beautiful place with a lot of pups to cuddle all day long. Well, this couple is literally living the dream right now.
A Lithuanian couple, Mantas and Rasa, came to Thailand as tourists but ended up staying here and became parents to many stray dogs in Koh Kood in Trat province.
This wholesome story started off 6 years ago when the couple left their home in Lithuania to explore Thailand. They then discovered the island and decided to call it home for the years to come.
Inspired by loss
Mantas and Rasa with their doggos
Images adapted from: Mantas Pralgauskas
At the beginning of their trip, the dog-loving couple received bad news about their boxer back home that died due to illness. All they could do was to say goodbye to him over the phone.
To cope with grief, the couple decided to adopt a local stray pup and named it “Zuika,” which means “baby rabbit” in Lithuanian. It was then when they really noticed how many dogs on the island were sick and injured.
Image credit: Bored Panda
Over the past six years, they’d adopted a total of 15 local dogs, with 2 being blind and 4 with other disabilities.
Image credit: Bored Panda
Besides adopting some, the couple continued to feed and check-up other needy dogs on the island as there were no vets or animal rescues on the island that could take care of them.
This included treating doggies’ wounds with basic first aid items such as Betadine and bandages to prevent infections.
Image credit: Bored Panda
The couple had to take a 40km journey on a motorcycle every day to make sure all doggies were ok. They even took dogs with serious wounds to a vet hospital on the mainland to save their lives.
Got more than 1,000 dogs spayed
Image credit: Mantas Pralgauskas
In 2015, Mantas and Rasa started a project to control an ever-growing population of the island’s dogs.
They reached out to many vet schools and clinics and, finally, they teamed up with Khon Kaen University and organised the first neuter project on the island and spayed around 70 dogs.
The project continued and over 1,000 dogs have been spayed as of today.
Not an easy journey
Image credit: Bored Panda
Sadly, taking care of 15 canine friends is not an easy task. At one point, they were forced to find a new place to live as their landlord then didn’t like that they had so many dogs around.
“The landlord of our house, which we rented for many years, refused to extend our rent… But we now have a new place in a remote area of the island and are happy to be with our 15 doggos,” said the couple.
You can help too
Image credit: Bored Panda
You can support Mantas and Rasa’s good cause and help them take care of these pups by donating dog food or money.
To do so, we suggest you to directly contact the couple for their address or banking details.
A big thanks to Mantas and Rasa for loving and caring for all these needy pups in Koh Kood.
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- Bangkok Has An Adoptable Puppy Cafe Where People Can Rescue Or Foster Cute Doggos
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