Soi Dog Foundation's Adoption Programs

Soi Dog Foundation has the perfect pet for you, whether you are looking for a puppy or kitten or a more mature animal.

SDF always has at least 200 dogs and cats of all sizes looking for good homes. Thai dogs make excellent pets particularly our rescued dogs who seem to understand they have been given a home.

They are extremely loyal and loving animals and in addition are the best burglar repellent available!   

          Cissy When Found                   Cissy After 3 Weeks                        Cissy Adopted!

Adopting Dogs And Cats Locally In Thailand       

Western pedigree breeds are now widely available in pet shops and markets throughout Thailand and are very fashionable. Sadly in the majority of cases these puppies are the product of puppy farms that owing to limited bloodstock rely on in breeding which produces faults and unhealthy puppies. SDF receive many calls from people who have spent a lot of money on these animals only for them to die often within weeks of purchase. Others end up at our shelter abandoned and unable to survive on their own on the streets.

Generally, unless purchasing from one of the very few conscientious breeders, the animals will not even be vaccinated, and some are already infected with life threatening diseases such as parvo virus and canine distemper in dogs and FIV and Leukemia in cats. In addition many of these breeds are totally unsuitable for life in a tropical country.

Visit the cargo department at the airport on Friday evenings and you will inevitably see flimsy wire cages stuffed with puppies flown from Bangkok for sale at Phuket’s markets and pet stores. By purchasing these animals you are encouraging this trade as well as adding to the stray animal population, as those that do survive many will be allowed to breed indiscriminately.

Soi Dog Foundation has the right pet for you and makes no charge to adopting families. All animals are fully vaccinated and neutered or spayed. (In the case of young puppies and kittens these procedures will be carried out free of charge at a later date).

For adoption enquires and to see the dogs and cats available for adoption please see:

Cats Available For Adoption or Dogs Available For Adoption

In addition if you find that the dog or cat is not suitable, Soi Dog will take the animal back. An animal purchased from a pet store or market cannot be returned. We can also provide boarding facilities at our shelter for animals adopted from us.

Overseas Adoptions

Soi Dog Foundation have helped many people throughout the world get former stray dogs back to their own country. We do not charge any fees for people wanting to take former stray dogs overseas. Nor do we charge for keeping the dogs, expenses in taking either the dog or samples to laboratories, other vets, the livestock deptartment (for export license), airport etc. To our knowledge we are the only rescue organization in the world that operates this policy.

Long time dedicated Soi Dog supporters Rob Costello & Beth Weesner in San Francisco with Ow Nin, Singha, Jai Dee, Besos and Lek. All former Phuket stray dogs, rescued by SDF.

We do of course welcome a donation towards these costs and for caring for the animal while in our care.

The person adopting must cover all unrecoverable costs that SDF pay to 3^rd parties.

The regulations for importing dogs from Thailand to different countries varies widely across the world.

SDF has sent animals to most countries in Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Singapore.

For adoption enquires and to see the dogs and cats available for adoption please see:

Cats Available For Adoption or Dogs Available For Adoption

Of the most common destinations The United States (excluding Hawaii) and Canada are the easiest. We can send an animal there within one week subject to flight availability. The animal will have a valid rabies vaccination which is the only requirement. The costs to be met by the person adopting are the flight cage and flight only.

Australia and New Zealand are extremely difficult to send animals to from Thailand. They must first go to another approved country. Singapore is the closest and spend several months there first. The animal will still need to spend a month in quarantine on arrival in Australia or New Zealand.

The process for Europe excepting the UK and Sweden is as follows. (For UK and Sweden contact John as above). 

1. The dog will have 2 rabies vaccinations 2 weeks apart. NO CHARGE.
2. We recommend that the dog is also vaccinated against parvo virus and distemper both common in Thailand though now rare in Europe. If a puppy strongly recommended that the puppy has a full course. 1 vaccination of each 500thb. Full couse 1,000thb.

For cats we recommend full course of all cat vaccines FIV, leukaemia, cat flu etc, approxiametly 2,000 thb.

The above is at the decision of the person adopting but we cannot accept responsibility if your animal catches one of these diseases. The costs are far less than in Europe.

3. If staying at SDF we recommend fitting the dog with a Preventic tick collar. 220thb
4. 30 days after the vaccination a blood sample is taken and sent to an approved lab in Europe. SDF uses the Pasteur institute in Brussels.
5. Cost 50 euros for test, 990 thb for shipping sample by special delivery, 700thb for vet and laboratory fees in Thailand to extract serum. 300thb for cost of inserting microchip in animal.

The above are requirements for importing a dog or cat into the EU without quarantine. The above must be paid for before Soi Dog sends blood samples to Europe.

6. 3 months from the date the sample is taken the dog or cat can travel to Europe without any quarantine.
7. Animals can fly as accompanied baggage or cargo. With the exception of Air Berlin/LTU and Edelweiss Air there is little difference in the cost. Air Berlin fly direct from Phuket to Munich and onward to most European destinations and only charge 120 euros IF the dog is accompanied. With other airlines animals are NOT taken into account as part of baggage allowance.
8. Cargo charges vary and are entirely dependent on the size of the cage. An average sized Thai dog is likely to cost in the region of 30,000thb to Northern Europe.
9. In addition, we have to buy an IATA approved cage and auto water feeder. We have recently found a supplier of these in Thailand who supplies them to us at wholesale prices but they are imported and the cost for an average sized Thai dog is around 4-5,000thb.
10. Cats and small dogs are obviously far cheaper with cages costing less than 1,000thb and flights around 12,000thb.

WE GENERALLY KNOW THE COST OF THE FLIGHT 2 WEEKS BEFORE DEPARTING AND THIS MUST AGAIN BE PAID IN ADVANCE.

For adoption enquires and to see the dogs and cats available for adoption please see:

Cats Available For Adoption or Dogs Available For Adoption