The Man That Rescues Dogs

The Man That Rescues Dogs – TMTRD- Chonburi

The Man That Rescues Dogs or TMTRD for short is based just outside of Pattaya, around 1-1 1/2 hour drive from Bangkok. They are home to around 450 dogs and this includes around 20 disabled dogs. They also feed 175 dogs every morning living on the streets, and they operate a free clinic for locals with a good spay and neuter programme. Currently they are also working to improve the conditions at the local government dog pound by providing medical services and guidance on a weekly basis.

www.tmtrd.org

Location: Chonburi, Thailand

Cost: 6000 bht per week.

Daily expenses: Evening meals at the local market , 50 bht per night. Everything else was included.

Accommodation: Private air con room with en-suite bathroom in a small family resort just a short walk from the shelter. This is included in your 6000 bht cost. The village location is quite remote so not much alternatives accommodation wise but the room and resort was pleasant and modern, and the owner friendly. Breakfast is provided but its very basic toast and jam with coffee. There’s a fridge in the room so you can stock up on additional breakfast items from the supermarket in the village. Free water supplied at the resort and at TMTRD and a vegan lunch cooked in the kitchen at lunchtime. In the evening you go to the local market for dinner, as there are no restaurants or shops near the resort. The food market is every night with good places to eat, everything reasonably priced around 50 bht for a basic evening meal. I got a lift in every evening but if you want a bit more freedom then definitely hire a scooter or car.

Accommodation provided just a short stroll from the recue centre.

Tasks: There’s no strict schedule as such in place, unlike many other rescue centres, so you can spend time where you prefer and generally try and find your own feet where you are needed. I pretty much helped out everywhere which included cleaning the large runs and the disabled dog area, helping the staff with making the dog food and rice in the morning, going on the street dog feedings runs, walking the dogs, and helping with the disabled dogs . The daily disabled dog walks are a lot of fun and you help get the dogs in and out of the wheelchairs before taking them out on a long walk with the staff. This was the highlight of my day and happens twice daily. You can also participate in the hydrotherapy sessions which are done every other day with the disabled dogs, and involves getting in the small pool and helping the staff exercise the dogs. The days are very varied and there is always plenty to do, as long as you use your initiative and get stuck in. Be warned it gets very hot in the afternoon so bring a hat and drink plenty of water. If you are good at social media and videos and anything creative this can also be utilised and TMTRD is very happy to have help in this area. You can also help out at the government dog pound which is around a 40 minute drive away. TMTRD are heavily involved in improving the conditions at this shelter so there will always be something to do there.

Hanging out with the disabled dogs in the care house.

What I liked: This was by far my favourite rescue centre as its managed and run very well. I can honestly say there was nothing I would change or try and improve because the dogs are clearly well looked after and incredibly happy. There are no cages or small runs, they all roam in open areas with lots of space and places they can hang out freely. I was impressed how much the dogs happiness is the top priority. The owner, Micheal Baines, really knows what he is doing here. It is very inspirational to see him working, and to listen to how much he has done, and will continue to do for the dogs. I wish all rescue centres were run like this.

The disabled dogs in the care house. They all get taken out in the wheelchairs twice a day.

Other things to note: They don’t have as many volunteers as other places I’ve been to, and I like to be part of a big group when I volunteer, but that’s just a personal preference. Everything else was great. I only stayed a week due to the escalating problems with Covid-19, otherwise I would have definitely stayed longer. The costs to volunteer is high compared to other rescues, which are mostly free, but after you take out the accommodation costs the rest goes directly back to the rescue centre so you can’t argue with that really. Its not possible to cut back on the accommodation costs due to the location. I really enjoyed my time here and would highly recommend a visit.

Do I recommend here: Yes