Back in 2011, Michael J. Baines found a sick dog behind his restaurant in Thailand. Soon, he gained the dog’s trust. He brought him to the vet and nursed him back to health. But this dog wasn’t the only one in need of help. In fact, Thailand was crawling with stray dogs. And Michael just couldn’t look the other way.
TMTRD is born
So, the following year, he created a non-profit organisation called The Man That Rescues Dogs Foundation (TMTRD). Today, the foundation employs 44 staff members and cares for over 1150 dogs, of which more than half live in their sanctuary.
Because of the sheer volume of dogs in need of help, the TMTRD has to return some of the dogs they rescue to the streets. But that doesn’t mean they stop caring for them. Indeed, the organisation follows a daily route that includes feeding over 400 stray dogs.
But this, of course, comes at a cost. The organisation costs roughly £1235 a day to operate. They rely entirely on donations from the public. “Making sure we have the funds to operate is a never-ending challenge”, says Chris Chidichimo, TMTRD Program Director.
Giving dogs a second chance at life
On the other hand, rescuing dogs in desperate need of help is absolutely worth it. For example, at the end of the summer 2023, the TMTRD team were called about a litter of puppies that had become stuck in tar. It took them hours, but they were able to safely remove the puppies from their sticky prison and bring them back to the sanctuary for some much needed care. After weeks of bathing them with vegetable oil and degreasing shampoo, the puppies were finally free from any trace of tar on their coats. They were dewormed and given their first round of vaccinations.
Program Director Chris told us the organisation “gives every dog the chance that they deserve”. And this touching story certainly proves it. Without TMTRD’s help, these puppies stood no chance. But thanks to their intervention, they are now happy and healthy dogs that are looking forward to a wonderful future with a loving forever home.
If you would like to support TMTRD in helping more dogs in Thailand, you can donate, volunteer, or even sponsor a dog. If you’re in Thailand, you can also adopt!
Following the organisation on social media also helps, especially if you like and share their posts!
Follow them on:
Thank you TMTRD for all you do!
