KC-DARTBeth Schmidt, Cara Blome, Ron Presley, Cheri Deatsch, Brenda Shoss, Grady Ballard, Adrienne Usher, Bryan Grant
LocationDisaster Shelter Bang Pu, Bangkok, ThailandFloods: Thanon Sala Thammasop, Sala Thammasop, Thawi
Watthana Bangkok 10170 Thailand
Rangsit, Pathum Thani Province, Thailand
Ban Kae (Changwat Khon Kaen), Thailand
Field LogBryan Grant, Kinship Circle Nov-Dec 2011
FOOD IS DELIVERED ACROSS FLOODED MILESWater washes over miles and miles. It seems endless. Shallow at the ankles. Then a sudden drop, and floodwaters rise to hips, chest, or higher. These random “ponds” maroon people and animals across a vast stretch, accessible only by boat. En route to deeply flooded regions, we deliver food to four puppies and a mom at a gas station on Highway 3 in Bang Pu. We search for dogs reported near the Chinese Gate along Highway 3, whom Darrick Thomson — Director of Operations & Rescue for Save Elephant Foundation (SEF), and lead for deepwater boat rescue/food drops — asked us to locate. But we can't find the dogs or anyone familiar with them. We continue to Bang Kae in western Bangkok PLEASE MAKE A TAX-DEDUCTIBLE GIFT TO KINSHIP CIRCLE so we can fund ongoing food drops, search-rescue and disaster sheltering for animal flood victims.
Rescued in flooded Rangsit, this dog with a dislocated hip is among five dogs and four pups who return with us to the emergency shelter.
© Kinship Circle, Thailand / Bryan Grant
Rescued Mom watches over hungry Junior and the rest of her brood. Now safe, with plenty of grub, animals recover from their ordeal.
© Kinship Circle, Thailand Floods
Kinship Circle's Bryan Grant joins Save Elephant Foundation volunteers for food delivery to animals in Rangsit. The team recovers 5 dogs, 4 pups and 1 young dog with a dislocated hip.
© Kinship Circle, Thailand / Bryan Grant
Hungry Animals
Hungry
Our travel truck eases into shallow waters before we stop to load food, water and rescue gear aboard a small motorboat. We guide the boat through deepening waters, on the lookout for animals adrift and people who need food for their animals. Though space is scare we plan to rescue stranded pups with lactating moms, plus injured or sick animals. We also focus on food/water drops for residents who remain on flooded properties with their animals. Flood Food Delivery #1A woman oversees loose and kenneled dogs atop a bridge. Some 14 hungry animals rely on her for survival, yet her food supply has dwindled to nothing. We'd met her days earlier, while on supply runs, and now make good on our promise to return with food. Like many who want to stay with their own animals, as well as care for others who wander into their midst, she is deeply grateful to get more food.
This dog suffers from TVT Tumors, a condition we've seen in overseas disasters. Rescued and in treatment, he improved by January.
© Kinship Circle, Thailand Floods
Ron Presley, Kinship Circle Field Response Manager, and Darrick Thomson, Director of Operations/Rescue for Save Elephant Foundation (SEF) truck out to deepwater floods for search-rescue and aid.
© Kinship Circle, Thailand Floods
Barge Dogs
Kinship Circle's Bryan Grant joins Save Elephant Foundation volunteers for food delivery to animals in Rangsit. During food drops, we search for the sick, wounded and vulnerable — animals most likely to succumb to post-disaster desolation. Though instructed to shelter caregiven animals in-place, some stay-behind residents voluntarily surrender ill or injured animals. Others request veterinary meds, along with food. We do our best to help in each scenario. In Rangsit, the team rescues five dogs, four pups and one young dog with a broken hip. Flood Food Delivery #2We encounter a man who lives with some 16 dogs on a floating plywood barrel/barge platform. His makeshift dwelling includes a few kennels and a tub of topical penicillin — but no food. Bryan loads the boat with large bags of food to reach the man's floating refuge. Once on board, he examines one dog with a wounded paw. Another dog, unable to use her rear legs, is immobilized. This second dog also has infected genitals. In pain, she aggressively snaps at Bryan, who records an urgent need for veterinary assistance at this site. Flood Food Delivery #3We meet a woman who tells us about stranded dogs. She describes a hut with 12 pugs and one poodle, a second hut with 15 puppies and two mom-dogs, and another enclave where six dogs live amid junk heaps. In total, we feed 40 animals at this stop. The woman agrees to check on the animals and help disperse food on a longer-term basis. Bryan, Steve and other SEF volunteers hike through floodwaters for more than an hour to access remote sites where people care for animals. The team notes they must return for four 2-month-old puppies raised in a cramped cooler with no room to walk around.
A man recovers many dogs on his barge, but has no food for them. Save Elephant Foundation and Kinship Circle bring food to hundreds of animals, including these barge-dogs, along Thanon Sala Thammasop, Thawi Watthana, Bangkok.
© Kinship Circle, Thailand / Bryan Grant
At a remote hut, 12 pugs and one poodle are stranded without food or sufficient care.
© Kinship Circle, Thailand / Bryan Grant
Two moms and 15 pups are found at a second flooded hut. A local woman agrees to help deliver food on a longer-term basis.
© Kinship Circle, Thailand / Bryan Grant
Flood Ponds
Flood Ponds
Flood ponds separate people with animals from everyday resources such as food, drinking water and veterinary supplies. Bryan assesses the overall area and notes that “we may have barely scratched the surface” in terms of animal aid needed here. He recommends use of an additional pick-up truck packed with at least three to four medium sized kennels and blankets to stabilize wounded dogs in transit back to the shelter. His report also highlights two vital necessities: More food, plus a veterinarian or vet tech to accompany the team in the field. Flood Food Delivery #4Twelve dogs trail a woman across floodwaters. One of two yellow Labs has severe fur loss and a grapefruit-size abdominal tumor. Though we are restricted from the rescue of caregiven animals, we give the woman food and advise her to keep her dogs out of the water as much as possible. Flood Food Delivery #5A man looks after four dogs who reside atop a wide bridge. We give him our remaining dog food stores for the day and record his location. Flood Food Delivery #6Two scrappy kittens are discovered behind a shuttered store. A man feeds the tiny fluffballs, but does not have means to buy more food. The team leaves him a large stash of cat food and logs his location for follow-up.
Please Donate
So we can replenish critical supplies plus maintain veterinary aid and mobility on the ground! Your generous heart lets us conduct search-rescue to reach more forgotten animals. Help us save lives.
Paisaran (Patty) Pholsomsuk coordinates local volunteers and helps oversee the flood shelter.
© Kinship Circle, Thailand
Local volunteers prep animal food daily, for field aid and shelter meals. They even make rescues healthy stir-fry dishes in giant woks!
© Kinship Circle, Thailand / Bryan Grant
Disaster aid for animals + action for all
hurt by greed, cruelty, hate.
KINSHIP CIRCLE2000
info@kinshipcircle.org314-795-2646
7380 KINGSBURY BLVD
ST. LOUIS MO 63130
KinshipCircle.org
PRIVACY POLICY
SITE DESIGN: BRENDA SHOSS