18 images Created 23 Feb 2016
Yangon Animal Shelter
Nestled along a rural road about an hours drive from Yangon, Myanmar, lies the Yangon Animal Shelter. The five acre shelter currently harbors about 500 dogs, all former strays rescued from Yangon and surrounding areas.
The shelter was founded in 2012 by Terryl Just, an American woman and teacher at the International School Yangon. She described a tragic event that was a motivating factor for her in the opening of the shelter. “I had been feeding a stray dog for a year,” Just told me. “Then one day I found her poisoned, I felt like I had to do something.”
As in many other countries around the world, the poisoning of street dogs is a common practice to control the stray dog population. With the increase of tourism to Myanmar, these poisonings have been reported to be on the increase.
The shelter operates mostly from donations and the work of volunteers. It also employs 10 local workers to feed and care for the dogs twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. A local volunteer veterinarian is tasked to vaccinate each new dog. She also performs spay and neuter operations, and attends to the medical needs of any sick or injured dog.
A foster program provides a loving temporary home for the rescued dogs. A foster dog may better learn social skills as getting along with other pets and children, as well as leash and potty training. These skills increase the dogs chances of adoption. “We need more fosters,” Just told me. “We’re trying to push for that.”
The shelter is open to visitors by appointment, where they may meet their new family member, or take a dog home to foster. In addition to local adoptions, the shelter is able to adopt out dogs to international visitors.
The shelter was founded in 2012 by Terryl Just, an American woman and teacher at the International School Yangon. She described a tragic event that was a motivating factor for her in the opening of the shelter. “I had been feeding a stray dog for a year,” Just told me. “Then one day I found her poisoned, I felt like I had to do something.”
As in many other countries around the world, the poisoning of street dogs is a common practice to control the stray dog population. With the increase of tourism to Myanmar, these poisonings have been reported to be on the increase.
The shelter operates mostly from donations and the work of volunteers. It also employs 10 local workers to feed and care for the dogs twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. A local volunteer veterinarian is tasked to vaccinate each new dog. She also performs spay and neuter operations, and attends to the medical needs of any sick or injured dog.
A foster program provides a loving temporary home for the rescued dogs. A foster dog may better learn social skills as getting along with other pets and children, as well as leash and potty training. These skills increase the dogs chances of adoption. “We need more fosters,” Just told me. “We’re trying to push for that.”
The shelter is open to visitors by appointment, where they may meet their new family member, or take a dog home to foster. In addition to local adoptions, the shelter is able to adopt out dogs to international visitors.
