
I first met Bur (“Number” in Thai) five years ago when Hand to Paw first offered their services and care to the dogs at Wat Suan Nawaa. Bur was the matriarch of a pack of 10 dogs. Bur was personally introduced to me by Luang Por Thep, I could tell she held a special place in his heart as she was one of the only two survivors of a mass poisoning during a robbery that killed seven of his beloved temple dogs.
I was surprised to meet one of my very first “older” dogs that survived this long in a temple environment. I instantly knew the reason was that the head Abbot loved his dogs above all else and he even told me “they were the only ones he could really trust”!
It was only after a few temple visits I noticed that although Bur was an old dog showed signs of a very old dog. She appeared; lethargic, eating little and showing eye problems. I knew little at this time about the common, deadly and crippling effects of blood parasites on temple dogs. Bur was one of my first cases.
Over the course of several months Bur regained her health, but a secondary effect of the disease caused glaucoma in both of her eyes. This is a very painful eye affliction for dogs who cannot express their pain. The pain is similar to a constant migraine headache – dogs show their pain by becoming quiet and withdrawn. She had only about 10% vision remaining in both her eyes.
Over the next two years a large portion of our meager funds were spent on taking Bur to an eye specialist one hour’s drive from the temple every month and paying for her costly eye medications. She required 2 types of eye drops daily that Luang Por Thep had to administer. After two years her eye health deteriorated to the point that both eyes had to be removed. From that day Bur’s life began anew. Pain fee and 100% healthy this 10+ year old dog can now be found roaming the temple grounds, climbing stairs or lounging the day away. Bur is a Hand to Paw doggie favorite amongst the volunteers and students. Young people are amazed to learn about the other more important senses of a dog: their nose and ears! She is an intrigue to them and everyone wants to give her a little pats as if to wish her well. The elderly temple & street dogs of Thailand need a little support to help them live their final years in peace and pain free.
– Joy Huss, Founder – Hand to Paw temple Dog Outreach
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