An animal shelter in Thailand has turned to social media in the hopes of finding forever families for their longest residents. The dogs highlighted in the October 18 TikTok video have been living at the shelter for at least two years, but many of them have been there longer.
One dog, in particular, only knows the shelter. The nearly 8-year-old dog named Earth has been living at the shelter for seven years and five months, or 2,724 days.
Earth is described by the shelter as sweet, affectionate, and a little shy. He was brought to Soi Dog Foundation by someone who noticed Earth not eating and losing weight. He has been living there ever since.
Earth is not the only long-term resident at the foundation. Several of the shelter dogs, who are highlighted in @soidogfoundationofficial’s clip, have been there for years. After Earth, the next longest resident has been there for more than six years.
“I want to hug every single one of them. They deserved all the love that this world could give,” wrote one TikTok user, @n4ytiii.
The shelter wrote in the comment section, “Although they are safe and cared for here, nothing can beat the love and comfort of a home they can call their own.”
@soidogfoundationofficial/TikTok
Soi Dog Foundation, based in Phuket, was started in 2003 as a way to address the stray dog population through spay and neuter programs. This year, the foundation reached a milestone of 1 million animals neutered.
When the foundation began, it was estimated there were 70,000 stray dogs on the island and now, 20 years later, Soi Dog estimates that number is down to 7,000, The Phuket News reported.
Importance of Spay and Neuter Programs
There are nearly 70 million homeless cats and dogs living in the U.S. alone on any given day, according to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Spay and neutering programs provide a humane and effective way to help decrease the population of animals living on the streets.
The programs not only in time reduce the population, but it also curbs undesirable hormone-related behaviors and reduces health risks, the Humane Society International states.
Each year 6.3 million pets are surrendered to U.S. shelters, which is an average of 17,260 a day, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The number of dogs and cats taken in by pet shelters hit 46,807 during January 2023, an increase of 1,744 compared with January 2022, the 24Pet “Shelter Watch Report” found.
Around 920,000 surrendered animals are euthanized every year. Shelters are striving to minimize euthanasia rates by promoting adoption campaigns, spaying and neutering programs, and behavior rehabilitation.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to [email protected] with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.