‘All it takes is responsibility’: Bangkok’s push to tackle urban strays

Bangkok’s Prawet animal shelter has been operating for nearly three decades. Today, the operation is being stepped up, with better spaces and bigger hopes.

Established in 1997, the shelter in Prawet district was originally opened as a rabies quarantine facility. It wasn't long before it became apparent however, that the city’s stray animal problem extended beyond the disease, involving violence and negligence against the animals. Increased complaints prompted officials to conduct field inspections and capture those strays that could not coexist with their communities.

Capturing and caging dogs and cats drew criticisms on-and-off from animal welfare activists, but the latest developments by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) may turn sentiments around.

The shelter covers 13 rai of land enclosed by sound dampening walls in southeastern Bangkok, right on its border with Samut Prakan province.

New developments aimed at improving welfare for the shelter's occupants were finished around 2024, with the modernisation also widening its public outreach, according to Dr Pacharaorn Somboonvijitr, chief of the Dog Control and Shelter Subdivision, Public Health Veterinarian Office Health Department.

Dr Pacharaorn Somboonvijitr, chief of the Dog Control and Shelter Subdivision, Public Health Veterinarian Office Health Department.

The improvement included new work processes and broader coverage targeted at tackling problems at their source. “Facilities were redesigned,” the veterinarian said. “We have better divided zones and screening measures.”

The entrance of the shelter leads to an office for registration and admission of new cases as well as preliminary veterinarian treatment. Beside the main building is a lawn where dogs can be walked and allowed to play. It is also where visitors can spend time with the animals ahead of adoption.

The shelter's zones have been divided to serve different purposes, including kennels for dogs and cats waiting adoption and for new-entries suspected of rabies infection or in need of behaviour modification.

A fingers-crossed fate

Beyond the infrastructure, the focus on finding homes for animals has been intensified, with adoption channels expanded to reach a wider pool of potential owners.

“We are coordinating more with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), foundations and the private sector and further developing adoption programmes, such as by launching the BKK Adopter online page recently,” said Dr Pacharaorn.

Dr Anchalee Thueansukhon, a veterinarian who has worked at the shelter for 15 years, explained that there are four main categories of complaints against stray animals: aggressive behaviour, rabies suspicion, violent behaviour requiring joint fieldwork with NGOs and abandonment by owners.

“Currently, there are about 200 dogs and 300 cats here, but not all of them can be placed in the adoption programme,” Dr Anchalee noted. “We have to train them and make sure they can live with people.”

Stays at Prawet shelter are only supposed to be temporary, with sterilisation and vaccination provided. However, animals that need further care are forwarded to a larger shelter in Uthai Thani province, which can serve as their permanent home. If their behaviour improves however, they may return to await adoption, the vet said.

Dr Anchalee Thueansukhon, a veterinarian at the shelter.

The BKK Adopter programme currently features around 50 dogs and 30 cats, including newborns that were taken in along with their mothers.

“Most adopters prefer puppies or kittens as they are easy to bond with,” said Dr Anchalee.

However, she assured that “dogs older than six months are trained to sit, stay close, give a paw and wait, making them ready for adoption.”

To avoid issues, a stringent vetting process is applied to adoption applicants.

“Applicants must fill out questionnaires, which are jointly reviewed with NGOs,” she said. “They must have adequate space, meet welfare standards and have the financial means to care for the animal for life.”

Follow‑ups have been known to reveal problems, she pointed out, with some adopters, unfamiliar with pet care, finding that having a pet can be troublesome.

“They may think feeding alone is enough, but it’s not. You need time to care for them and play with them.”

The doctor admitted to some challenges that have come with the shelter’s wider public exposure. Some dog and cat owners have approached the shelter looking to “abandon their animals.”

“However, priority here goes to true strays that cannot coexist in communities,” Dr Pacharaorn emphasised. “We have limited capacity, and the owners must uphold their responsibilities.”

If intake is not possible, the shelter performs sterilisation and vaccination, then releases the animals back into their original area.

Once released, dogs have “N” for "Neutered”, marked on their ears, while cats have registered numbers tattooed on their bellies.

A sterillised dog has an "N" mark on its ear to indicate it has been neutered.

“Because dogs and cats are territorial, removing them can open space for new strays. Sterilised animals prevent new problematic populations,” Dr Pacharaorn said.

“What we uphold is that community animals must be safe, to both people and themselves, not increase in number and have immunity against disease.”

‘Responsibility for a life’

While Bangkok has been trying its best to tackle the matter of stray animals, shelter staff remind that all it takes to make people and animal coexistence sustainable is responsibility.

Think carefully before acquiring a pet, the two vets both remarked.

“Knowledge, space and money are needed to care for an animal until the end of its life,” said Dr Anchaee, who adopted a pet from the shelter herself.

“Abandoned pets result in social problems that affect all of society.”

“It is a responsibility for a life,” Dr Pacharaorn stated, adding that for those planning to buy a pet, they should consider that many dogs and cats are waiting for care at shelters like Prawet.

Cats at the Prawet shelter in Bangkok.