Companion animal overpopulation has been a global crisis for decades. This problem is derived from pet owners abandoning their pets and failing to spay or neuter them. The situation is getting worse because of the increase in the number of pets every day.

According to a survey conducted by Thailand’s Department of Livestock Development, there were around 820,000 stray dogs and cats in 2017. The estimated number of stray dogs and cats in 2027 will be 1,920,000! This figure excludes COVID-19 factors which contribute to increased pet abandonment.

When pet overpopulation occurs, many organizations attempt to manage it by transporting them to shelters and providing birth control. Currently, all pet shelters exceed their limit in taking care of all companion animals. They would like all of us soon-to-be pet parents to help!

MyFriend would like to invite you to spread LOVE to all companions in need of help. Here’s some pet adoption information and guidelines in Thailand for you to look at before making a decision to adopt these loving fur babies.

Step 1: Ready to Adopt🤔

Before adopting a pet, ask yourself these questions and answer carefully. It’s very important to know your needs and readiness before adopting. Also, when you are interviewed by the shelter, they may ask some of these questions.

• Are you ready to take care of a pet for as long as they live?
• Do you have enough resources like time, energy, money, and space, to take care of a pet?
• Do you have the basic knowledge in taking care of a pet?
• Are your family members and neighbors okay with you having pets?

Step 2: Find your “Paw-mate” 🐾

Search for a shelter that you would like to support and meet their pets. You can choose the right pet face to face or look through their shelter website and contact them.

Step 3: Prep your home 🏠

Prepare your home for shelter officers to inspect. Make sure that you have enough space for your pet. If it’s a dog, you will need a fence at least 1.5 meters high. If it’s a cat, you might need a separate room, according to their shelter’s regulations. In addition, make sure that your family members and neighbors are alright with you having a pet to prevent any conflict.

Step 4: Gather documents 📝

If the shelter allows you to adopt a pet after examining your house, you can ask for a list of all documents required from the shelter and gather them all thoroughly. Normally, it should include identification documents and house registration. If you would like to adopt from overseas or relocate in the near future, please check with the shelter first, documents needed can vary from shelter to shelter and from country to country.

Step 5: Medical Evaluation 🩺

Don’t forget to request health records from the shelter. It should include vaccination, microchipping, spaying/neutering, and general health record history. Also, find out if there is any chronic disease or genetic disorder that requires further treatment.

Step 6: Pet socialization 🐶

Most pets from shelters are not familiar with a homey environment because they grew up on the street. That’s why we need to spare some time to help them get used to new surroundings and have some essential training through the pet socialization process.

Step 7: Love & Care ❤️

Do the best you possibly can to provide for and take care of them, just like you envisioned it before the adoption.. Being a pet parent is a full-time job that can be challenging at times. If you believe you can’t continue, please reconsider before returning them to the shelter. If you leave them on the street, they may be harmed.

Adopting a dog or a cat allows you to save not one, but two lives. There will be one more space available in the shelter for another fur baby who is still out there.

MyFriend would like to encourage all pet lovers who are ready to have a pet to adopt from shelters in order to help reduce domestic pet overpopulation. Please think carefully if you are ready to take care of a pet friend and to share one part of our lives together.

🥰 MyFriend’s Parent things! Everything about us, pet lovers and pawrents. From lifestyle to taking care of our furry friends properly, and fun activities for everyone, it’s all here!

🐶🐱 MyFriend, your pet’s app. Where pet parents can find all services and content to take better care of their best friends!