Many dogs in Thailand live in the shadows. Cast out of homes they become outcasts. And their progeny are born into the lifestyle so stay there. They find a home on the outskirts, typically wherever we dump stuff. They become fringe animals slinking around the edges of our world, largely unloved and untrusted. But that's kind of what they have been in Thailand for thousands of years although it used to be in a far more accepted way where they were actually loved and trusted.
The Thai tradition has always been for dogs to live as unowned village residents. They had very close relationships with people almost to the point of becoming pets but they roamed at will and defined their own days. In return for some scraps and friendship they provided a security alert for the community, cleared up our waste before the rats could get it and happily returned the friendship the villagers gave them.
But this tradition has now become confused with the idea of pets. An uncomfortable mix of the old and new where pets are allowed to wander the streets at will (because that's what dogs have always done here) and once bored with a pet it's seems okay to abandon it to live on a street somewhere (because that's what dogs have always done here). The situation is a mess, with aggressive pets wandering around and homeless strays untrained in the arts of surviving on the streets within canine society.
But there are sanctuaries. The main ones being temples, which at least offer regular food even if it is very basic plus a secure place to live. The problem comes when too many dogs end up living too close to each other at a temple which becomes a perfect place for parasites and diseases to run rife. Most temples are not in a position to provide the necessary healthcare and most bad cases of mange, for example, are found at temples where the density of dogs can be ridiculous.
However, having said that, there are many temple dogs that have a great life as far as I can tell. They form bonds and socialise with their own kind as well as the people at the temple. They are outside with space to wander and can sniff whatever they feel like sniffing. And they don't get mistreated by the people living with them.
These photographs are some of the 60 dogs (and their shadows) at Khao Bandai-It temple in Petchaburi, Thailand. They are a strikingly diverse collection of mutts, mongrels and misfits but have affectionate carers and plenty of room to laze about in. They mostly choose the cool of the shadows but at breakfast time they come out into the sun to display their own.
