Alive On Ledges, Steps, Doorways - Animal Flood Aid, Kinship Circle

We enter Om Nai Nontkam, our SUV creeping along as we never know which street will suddenly be a creek with water lapping at our doors. Mott, our Thai interpreter from the NGO SCAD Bangkok that runs the Bang Pu emergency shelter, walks along dry sidewalks to get information about animals from locals. Are any stranded without food somewhere? Are their any Buddhist temples here where monks need more food. Animals typically congregate on the marble steps and ledges throughout a temple complex.

As we slowly drive, we spot a white dog chest deep paddling toward a dry curb. He looks healthy. The community feeds him. This is our measure, as there is not enough room at the emergency shelter to bring them all back. We load cages to ferry only the sick, wounded, pups and lactating mothers. The rest will receive be sheltered in place. The back half of our SUV is piled with 20 kilo bags of dog and cat food.

We reach a point at which we must park. The water is too deep to proceed by vehicle. Volunteers walk shin deep toward a reported temple with 60+ dogs and innumerable cats. A monk stands on an outer ledge, confirming to us that they need food for these animals. On either side of him are perched cats, still in the hot sun. We wade toward the temple complex entrance, where a Thai girl, woman and man meet us with a small flatboat. First, Adrienne, Beth and Brenda feed a cat on a ledge over flood waters. We pass the rest of the food bags hand to hand and on to the boat. The little girl is waist deep in water, but holds our hands to help us climb atop the food-laden boat. The boat is then pushed into an other-worldly circle of temples. The sand-bagged complex has filled with motionless water that covers every patio, walkway and flat surface. Only the majestic white buildings with ornate gold trim rise above water line. It is eerily quiet.

Loading boat with dog food, Thailand Flood

Animals Stranded In Flood Lagoons

A lady named "Yupreene" stands by her boat in the temple’s lagoon. She feeds animals balls of rice and vegetables, since the floods began.

Dogs, pups, cats inhabit dry spots within a circle of temples. Puppies, oblivious to peril, bounce on steps that descend into water. We distribute all food carried in by flat boat, and stay to assess overall animal conditions.

One tan pup, her paw draped over a teeny white baby, checks us out from behind a pillar. Another ring-eyed puppy only wants to engage us. She is all kisses and paw taps. Some skittish dogs dart down narrow passages and swim across narrow crevices. They know the grounds and these monks as their caretakers. But food for them has been scarce.

Kinship Circle’s team visits a second temple, now dry. Food donations are no longer needed, so our limited reserve is spared. A second area along today’s route is simply too flooded to access by vehicle and foot. It requires a real boat, and this operation only possesses one boat. A second team, led by Save Elephant Foundation’s Darrick Thomson, uses the deep-water boat today. Kinship Circle’s Ron Presley is with Darrick in another flood-impacted region.

A two hour drive gets us back to the Bang Pu emergency shelter to help with evening cage cleaning, walks, food, water, meds. Tonight one little brown and white speckled pup won’t eat. She was fine yesterday. Today, she is lethargic. Kinship Circle’s Brenda Shoss cradles the pup as British veterinarian Emma injects her with subcutaneous fluids for dehydration. The cutie pie perks up a bit from the fluid boost, sips water on her own and shows interest in the food. It is a day by day bridge from flood rescue to recovery. Some animals bounce back right away. Some move more slowly. A few don’t make it. On the ground, it is impossible not to care about each one. A face becomes a part of you.