

Volunteer Cristy Baker plays with Guava, Delphine and Star at Soi Dog Foundation in Phuket, Thailand. Volunteers help socialize the dogs, many of whom don't know how to walk on a leash or eat food from a bowl. (Soi Dog Foundation)

Jay, Inca, Boston, Vegas, Kane and Tokyo rushed over to the gate and lined up. A hand reached into the pile of tongues, tails and paws and pulled two dogs out of the pen. The pair wriggled with excitement as volunteers led them out for a stroll around a lake at Soi Dog Foundation in Thailand. During the outing on a recent afternoon, the dogs stretched their legs, sniffed the plants and eyed the resident duck. But the walk also had another purpose: The street dogs needed to learn how to be pets, an important step as they moved from a life outdoors to the animal shelter to a permanent home, often in the United States.

On August 19, the world will observe International Homeless Animals’ Day, or IHAD. The ­International Society for Animal Rights created the event in 1992 to raise awareness about the millions of cats and dogs — like Jay, Inca, Boston, Vegas, Kane and Tokyo — that don’t have a home or a human family to care for them. On this day, rescue centers, shelters and ­animal-welfare groups in more than 50 countries have organized such activities as dog dock diving, a dog/owner look-alike contest and pet photo shoots.



A volunteer walks a dog around the lake at Soi, which recently had more than 560 dogs at its facility. Many of the dogs are transported to North America for adoption after they learn basic socialization skills, such as walking on a leash. (Soi Dog Foundation)

“Children can participate in IHAD by walking shelter dogs, grooming shelter animals and spending time with them,” said Susan Dapsis, president of the International Society for Animal Rights. “This will bring much happiness to the animals and prepare them for their journey to a new home.”

Of course, organizations and individuals devote their time and resources to stray animals every day of the year. At Soi Dog Foundation, on the tropical island of Phuket in Thailand, volunteers and staff members work with dogs and cats that have never eaten out of a bowl, worn a collar or curled up on a couch. To become adoptable, the animals need to learn such basic skills as how to bond with people and, for dogs, how to walk on a leash.

“The dogs will pull you in the lake if you’re not careful,” Soi Dog volunteer Ian Munday said during a guided tour of the facility.

Fortunately, many of the more than 560 dogs and 200 cats living at the shelter are quick learners.



Asvila was abandoned on the streets of Phuket before arriving at Soi. (Andrea Sachs/The Washington Post)

Valerie peeks out from a concrete pipe at the shelter. (Andrea Sachs/The Washington Post)

On a hot day in early July, a kitten plopped down in a volunteer’s lap as if it were a beanbag chair. A kitty with a black mustache played patty-cake with a guest’s toes. In an outdoor dog run, an 8-month-old named Goody stood on her hind legs and opened her paws, as if asking for a hug. Marie-Ann, a chubby beagle, rolled on her back, hoping for a belly rub.

After a quick dip in a plastic pool, Chloe pranced over, her beige fur coat beaded with water. Her brother, Yoda, bounded after her. A few weeks later, the siblings would fly to Washington, just in time to celebrate International Homeless Animals’ Day in their new homes.