Dido (in foster care)

* * * UPDATE!! * * *

February 2014

I flew to the United States in late February alongside Forest, who was being adopted by the kind Christiansen family. They are the amazing folks who were all set to adopt dear little Cutie, who tragically crossed the Rainbow Bridge just before she was scheduled to fly here to the USA to join her loving adoptive family.

We were picked up at the airport in Minneapolis by the Christiansens and driven to Forest's new home in Wisconsin.

I adored my foster family - they were so kind to me, and helped me integrate into American life during my early days here.

Dawn came and picked me up a week after my arrival. 

She fostered me for a few days, and I did very well with her home pack.

During that time, she and Chuck took me to be bathed and groomed. 

I'm looking pretty fancy now!

Then we traveled onwards to meet an amazing couple who have a Thai dog "niece" named Roxie from the Soi Dog Foundation, and were interested in fostering a Thai dog of their own.

I absolutely love my new foster parents! They are loving and super dog savvy, and are helping me continue to acclimate to this new culture and climate. I am flourishing here, where I am the one and only doggie - the center of attention!

And - shhhh - don't tell anyone, but…my foster parents have been whispering to one another that if I continue to do as well as I've been doing, I might graduate from being their foster boy to being their real-life actual factual doggie son! 

But that's just between you and me…

;-)

Stay tuned!

Thank you to all who made this possible, from Patarin Phadungpisuth with Pat the Dog (PTD) International Rescue for finding, transporting, vetting, and fostering Dido; to his foster family, the Christiansens, who welcomed him with open arms and taught him the ropes during his first week here in America; to kind-hearted international supporters who generously donated to help cover his medical and flight costs.

* * * * *

My name is Dido.

I'm around three years old, and have spent practically my whole life on the grounds of a Buddhist temple called Plak Maai Laai in the southwest Thai village of Nakorn Pathom. 
I was born into a litter from a mama that had humans of her own - well, kind of - but they didn't care enough about my mom or us to keep us together. When we were still very young, me and my siblings were left here at the temple like so many others. When the people drove away with our crying mother, our hearts were broken because we knew we would never see her again.

Back then, there weren't as many dogs as there are now. But in the past few years especially, our home has become an unofficial dumping ground for litters of puppies and kittens.

Kind monks have been feeding us all for the past few years (that's me in the photo - front and center!) but since few of us are sterilized or vaccinated, our home has become an overcrowded and dangerous situation. There is simply not enough food for us all, so we are slowly starving. And the situation is ripe for an illness epidemic to sweep through at any moment - it will just take one very sick dog or cat, and - disaster!

Life at the temple was neither awful nor wonderful. It was just - just getting by, I guess you could say. We had water, although it was often not very clean - and we had food, when it was supplied and when we could get some mouthfuls in between all the competition from the others.

But I longed for something more. Security…like two reliable meals a day, as I hear dogs with humans have. And affection…which is in such short supply around here. There are simply too many of us for any one person to have the time to love us up individually. And shelter…the weather here is usually pretty nice, but in extreme heat, or during the rainy season, I spend so many days overheated or soaking wet, since so many of us must compete for the little shelter we can find here at the temple.

Besides which, I had been starting to feel weaker over the past few months. It wasn't just the short supply of food. It was something else. I could feel it in my body, but I wasn't sure what it was. And anyway, even if I knew, there was nothing I could do to make myself better. Our fates are so dependent upon the kindness of the handful of humans who care about us!

What I DID know was that I had itched constantly for my entire life. I was absolutely teeming with fleas and ticks. They covered my body under my hair coat, and had since I was a baby. I think I spent 90% of my waking moments at that temple just scratching myself.
Little did I know that the parasites and my health issues were connected - my blood was being literally sucked dry by the fleas and ticks, so I was suffering from anemia. Hence, my constant fatigue. 
And - I had contracted two deadly tick-borne diseases, which are easily treatable. However, without medication, either alone could claim a life. I was battling two at once.

My situation was slowly deteriorating, but it never affected my happy-go-lucky attitude. Whenever the rare human visitor passed through, I was first in line to bound over and see them, in hopes of any scant affection or attention. I just love people - and it showed.

One fateful day, Patarin Phadungpisuth - friend to the dogs - happened to be passing through. She had heard about a handicapped dog in dire need of assistance, and had come to rescue the poor soul. However, she arrived to find he had already passed away.
Pat was devastated, but I thought I could comfort her. I could sense her kind spirit and approached her in my usual way - tail wagging, tongue lolling out, and happy smile at the ready. She stroked my head, which made my tail wag so hard that I thought it would fall off my body. It was then that she noticed how well I got along with all the other animals at the temple - dogs and cats…and then that she took note of my cute tricks and funny mannerisms, such as my love of lying on benches built for humans…



...and after petting me for a few more minutes, it was then that she spotted the fleas and ticks absolutely covering me.
She realized that although the dog she had come to save was sadly beyond helping now, here was another dog who needed urgent intervention - me.
That was my lucky day. Patarin is my guardian angel, and I am so very lucky to have met her, and to have won her heart.
She brought me back with her to Bangkok, where I received immediate medical attention. 

 I received IV fluids and medications to correct my anemia, dehydration, malnutrition, and tick-borne illnesses.

Next, I had to be shaved down to the skin before the thousands of critters living all over me could be properly evicted.

It took some time for me to properly heal, but I have a positive, happy energy and that helped lots.
Plus, Pat came to visit me and told me that when I was all better, I could come to her house to stay until travel arrangements could be made for me. I hardly even heard the part about the traveling because I was so focused on…what?? Stay? At her house??? I was over the moon!

It took me a week or so, but soon I was recovered and ready to go. The big day arrived, and I hopped into a car for the second time in my life, this time for a very short drive.
Pat's house was like heaven for me. Square meals twice a day, nice doggie beds to sleep on, friends to play with, and lots and lots of love and affection!



Little did I know, however, that there still yet more in store for me!
Patarin has been coordinating with Dawn at ISDF to make flight arrangements for me and my new buddy, Forest, to go to America. There, Forest will join his forever family, and I will start the hunt for my very own people.
A home and family of my very own!
I just can't wait!!
They are out there somewhere…and when I meet them, I just know it will be love at first sight for us all.
Thanks for taking the time to read and share my story.
Love, Dido



For more information about adopting Dido or any of our available dogs, please contact Dawn Trimmel at (414) 426-4148. Thank you!