Project summary

Help to care for the dogs and cats (and a few other animals!) at our nursing and animal care centres on the islands of Koh Lanta and Koh Phangan in Southern Thailand.  The opportunity to do hands on animal volunteering, while living an amazing lifestyle on these beautiful tropical islands.

A typical day

Each day will vary but you will get the opportunity to get involved in a range of work including the daily running and maintenance of the centres, cleaning, feeding and washing animals, walking the dogs, assisting with dog catching, giving medication and assisting with animal treatment, education programmes, and just spending time playing with the animals!

The locations

Koh Lanta - a popular tourist destination near Phuket, the island is known for its long, sandy beaches and scuba diving. The geography of the island is typically mangroves, coral rimmed beaches and rugged tree covered hills, and there are 9 sandy beaches to enjoy!  Part of the island has been designated a national park.  Koh Lanta has a natural, relaxed and laid back feel to it.

Koh Phangan - heading North from Koh Samui, Koh Phangan is a dramatic mix of dense jungle and hilly terrain in its interior and granite outcrops and beaches along the coast.  A popular destination for backpackers and travellers, including famous full moon parties, Koh Phangan is a laid back, friendly and fun island with an atmosphere that means people usually stay a lot longer than intended.

How you can make a difference

By volunteering at these centres you will make a major contribution to the welfare of dogs, cats and other animals in Thailand.

On a personal level you will have the satisfaction of helping to make a positive difference to the lives of these animals and, in the process, gain new skills and knowledge, working with an enthusiastic team.

What's included

• A comprehensive information booklet and pre-departure support
• Travel advice and assistance
• Introductions to the centre and the work
• Animal training and supervision
• Ongoing support, help and advice from our local team
• Donation to the project
  

What else to budget for

The following items are not included and estimates are given as a guide for your budgeting: flights (£450-£600), visa (free if under 30 days, £45 if not), immunisations including Rabies (£100), travel insurance, personal spending / food (£50 per week).

Accommodation - Koh Lanta: free if you stay on site at the centre, or you can stay in a resort from approx £50 a week.

Accommodation - Koh Phangan: good rooms start at approx £50 a week.

Other projects you might also be interested in....

* Wildlife Rescue in Thailand

* Elephant Care in Thailand

* Bear Sanctuary in Cambodia

* Horse rehabilitation in South Africa

______________________________________________________

More details

Background information about the project

Koh Lanta - the project was started in 2005 during the construction boom after the Tsunami. During the boom, construction workers came with their dogs but left them behind when the buildings were completed. In addition to this problem, the number of tourists feeding these dogs increased which resulted in their high survival and reproduction rates causing over population. 

Koh Phangan - the centre was founded in 2001 as a non-profit nursing clinic. It was the sole provider of veterinary care for the animals of Koh Phangan, until November 2008, when the island opened its first private vet clinic. Since then, it has been able to concentrate on treating stray animals only, mostly on-site, with hospitalisation if necessary. 

Volunteer accommodation and food

On Koh Lanta, basic shared accommodation is provided on-site at the centre, or volunteers can choose to stay in a resort if they prefer.

On Koh Phangan, there is no on-site accommodation for volunteers, so volunteers stay in one of the many resorts on the island.  We can arrange initial accommodation or volunteers can arrange it for themselves.

Food is not included, but there are many restaurants and inexpensive eating out options. 

Freetime and travel opportunities

In your freetime after work you can relax and enjoy the island and there is a lot to do on your day off. As well as stunning beaches, there is great snorkelling and diving, and jungle and temples to explore inland. The islands are popular traveller destinations and there is a lively social scene with many bars and restaurants.

Challenges

The staff will do their best to inform you on what’s going on and what is expected of you, however there will be times when you have to use your own initiative to organise activities, locate resources or information. Things may be organised differently from back home and things might not always make sense. You should be open-minded, patient, willing to accept new things and be prepared to get stuck in.

It can also be very emotional work so you should try to be prepared for this.

No specific skills are required other than enthusiasm and a strong stomach!

Where does your money go

PoD is run as a non-profit organisation and does not receive any external funding. We charge a fee for all our placements to cover the overseas costs of volunteering and the costs of running our organisation in the UK. 

For PoD’s most recent financial year, almost 70% of volunteer fees went to the countries and projects they were working in, the remainder covering UK costs.

Volunteer reviews

Click here to read volunteer reviews for our dog and cat care projects in Thailand.