Lanta Animal Welfare
Focus: Animal Care.
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Project Description
Lanta Animal Welfare (LAW) is a non-profit organisation, based on the island of Koh Lanta in the southwest of Thailand. LAW’s objective is to relieve the suffering of the island’s dogs and cats, primarily by reducing the population through sterilisation. It also provides medical care and vaccinations.
To date, LAW has sterilised and vaccinated over 5,000 animals. The organisation estimates it has sterilised about 80% of the island’s dogs and there has been no recorded case of rabies on the island for the last 15 years. (LAW administers a rabies vaccine free of charge to every animal it sterilises.)
The organisation receives no government funding whatsoever, relying solely on donations and the local restaurant and cooking school Time for Lime, which donates its profits to Lanta Animal Welfare. With the exception of three members of staff and one Thai vet, everyone working at LAW is a volunteer, giving their time and energy for free to help the island’s animals.
LAW is always in need of vet volunteers and general volunteers and further information on this can be found on their website: www.lantaanimalwelfare.com unlike many other animal welfare organisations, Lanta Animal Welfare does NOT charge anyone to come and volunteer.
Volunteer Information
Costs & Benefits
Requirements
Contact information
Project Summary
Our animals are housed at two facilities – our main centre on Long Beach (Phra-Ae) and our off-site kennels at the Time for Lime restaurant and cooking school (where it all began and where all our animals were originally kept.) Volunteers will be assigned to either place as need dictates, for the duration of their stay or alternatively, they may be asked to split their time between both locations.
Volunteers work 6 days a week for 6 hours a day. Daily shifts are either 7.00am to 1.00pm, 1.00pm to 7.00pm or a split shift of 7.00am to 10.00am and 4.00pm to 7.00pm. All volunteers get one day off a week.
General volunteer duties include cleaning dog kennels and cat cages, feeding and watering the animals, washing towels and linen, grooming the animals, spending time with the cats, walking the dogs and greeting and registering pet owners who bring their animals for treatment.
Volunteer vet duties will include spaying & neutering animals on a daily basis, as well as examining pets brought in by their owners and administering medical treatment as needed. Occasionally, vets will be out roaming the island catching strays as well. In this case, experience in darting dogs is extremely valuable.
LAW provides free accommodation on-site to all long term volunteers (minimum stay one month) on a FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED basis, but food is at their own expense. At the Long Beach centre, each room has a private bathroom with cold water and is shared between two volunteers (bunk beds). The rooms at Time for Lime are private (one single bed only) but with shared bathroom facilities (cold water).
LAW asks for a 5,000THB deposit which is fully refunded at the end of the stay, provided that (a) volunteers do not cancel their placement before arrival, (b) volunteers remain with LAW for the duration of their placement and (c) volunteers do not have their placement terminated early by LAW. This deposit is to secure a volunteer’s place at the centre as there is only a limited amount of space. The deposit applies in all cases (even when people do not or cannot accept the free accommodation).
Should there be no free accommodation at the time a volunteers wishes to come, or should they wish to opt for their own accommodation, LAW can make recommendations and help with this. Food on the island can be had for very cheaply, particularly if volunteers eat local food at local restaurants. Western food will cost more.
Volunteers must be at least 20 years old. Knowledge of the Thai language is always very helpful but not essential. Most importantly, people must be fit and healthy as the work is very physically demanding, in hot and humid conditions. Volunteers may also have to deal with emotional situations from time to time and should be prepared for this.
In addition, it is important for volunteers to remember at all times that they are not there to change working practices, but to offer their skills and help. Suggestions for improvement are always welcome but should be discussed with a LAW staff member at all times before any changes are implemented.
Volunteers must be at least 20 years old. Knowledge of the Thai language is always very helpful but not essential. Most importantly, people must be fit and healthy as the work is very physically demanding, in hot and humid conditions. Volunteers may also have to deal with emotional situations from time to time and should be prepared for this.
In addition, it is important for volunteers to remember at all times that they are not there to change working practices, but to offer their skills and help. Suggestions for improvement are always welcome but should be discussed with a LAW staff member at all times before any changes are implemented.
Lanta Animal Welfare
629 Mo.2, Koh Lanta, Krabi,
Thailand, 81150
Tel: +66 (0)843 044 331
Email: volunteer@lantaanimalwelfare.com
Website: www.lantaanimalwelfare.com
Location: Koh Lanta, Krabi, Thailand
Average cost per day: Free
Focus: Animal Care
Skills needed: Volunteers must be at least 20 years old, a knowledge of the Thai language is helpful but not essential