Thailand | How to support Lanta Animal Welfare

Visiting Ko Lanta, staying at Oasis Yoga Bungalows and supporting Lanta Animal Welfare was one of the best experiences of our time in Thailand. LAW is a non profit charity set up in 2005 by Junie Kovacs. They're dedicated to rescuing injured, abandoned and mistreated cats and dogs, with the ultimate goal of rehoming them, educating the locals about animal welfare and reducing the issue of strays in Thailand through sterilisation.

Deng Mia at Lanta Animal Welfare

In Thailand dogs aren't always respected like the family pets we know and love. As strays they can overpopulate and be misunderstood and mistreated, mostly due to a lack of education which Lanta Animal Welfare are trying to combat by going out to local schools. One local told us if you see a dog on the island these days, it probably belongs to someone - all down to the work that LAW does!

Dog Walking at Lanta Animal Welfare

We heard some incredibly sad stories at the centre; Deng Mia was hit by a car and had her leg amputated as a result. Mooky had boiling oil poured over his head! Libby was found with a serious skin infection and injuries which led to having one eye removed.  LAW have a vet clinic run by volunteers on Ko Lanta where they treat the sick and wounded animals, and often provide mobile clinics in other parts of southern Thailand too.

Kitty City, Lanta Animal Welfare

Recently LAW launched their brand new Kitty City, providing a safe space for rescued cats to roam, as well as an awesome place to welcome visitors and encourage cat cuddles! Vegan food is served in the Kitty Café - everything from wraps and brownies to iced teas - with the proceeds going towards the centre too.

Kitty City Lanta Animal Welfare

Volunteer

You can really get stuck in and volunteer at Lanta Animal Welfare. You don't have to be a qualified vet/vet nurse (although they do need them too!), you can be a host volunteer meeting and greeting visitors, giving tours and running the café or a general volunteer. This role involves cleaning, gardening, maintenance and generally caring for the animals too. It's a "working holiday" essentially - find more info on LAW's website here.

Meeting Deng Mia, three legged dog at Lanta Animal Welfare

Walk the dogs!

If you want to help out on a more casual basis while you're at Lanta, this is the option for you. Pop in to the shelter in the morning, before 11am or after 3pm (avoiding the hottest time of the day) and you'll get to meet a pack of pups and take them out for their daily walk.

Howard the dog, Lanta Animal Welfare

We popped in after breakfast on our first morning and, along with a German couple, met Libby, Deng Mia, Howard and little Ron. He was a pretty nervous dog but by the end of our walk in the woods he relaxed and became more playful. They were so cute and it's impossible not to fall in love - even when they try to pick up dead snakes from the side of the road!

Walking puppy Ron at Lanta Animal Welfare

I highly recommend this, especially if you're only on the island for a short space of time. As a dog lover it was the highlight of my day, and was a good chance to meet other like minded travellers too!

Ron and Libby at Lanta Animal Welfare

Eat at Time for Lime

Another highlight from Ko Lanta was dinner at Time for Lime. The restaurant on Khlong Dao beach shares it's owner (and profits!) with the shelter, making it the main contributor to Lanta Animal Welfare. By eating and drinking at Time for Lime, taking part in their Thai cooking school and cocktail classes, or staying in one of their nine bungalows, you are supporting LAW!

cocktails at Time for lime, ko lanta

Had we been more organised, I absolutely would have booked the cooking class. There was one going on when we were there and it looked super fun. We got chatting to a Scottish guy here - the only Scot we met during 2 weeks in Thailand - turns out he was from Banchory of all places! It really is a small world.

at Time for Lime, Ko Lanta

Watch the sunset from the beach bar with a cold Singha or a lemongrass margarita in hand, then tuck in to some tasty Thai tapas from Time for Lime's daily changing menu. Each night's selection starts off with mien kham - Thailand in one bite!

Thailand in one Bite, Time for Lime Koh Lanta

A platter of ingredients appeared in front of us at the bar; chilli, lime, ginger, peanuts, dried shrimp, red onion, coconut flakes and honey. The idea is to pop a bit of each onto the pepper leaves, wrap it up and literally enjoy the taste of Thailand in one bite. I have to admit we were sceptical but it's spot on! A real flavour sensation, capturing everything that makes my mouth water when I think about Thai food!

Thai tapas at Time for Lime, Ko Lanta

Visiting on a Monday, the tapas platter consisted of shrimp in wild pepper leaves with a sweet chilli dip, an incredible vegan massaman curry and delicious caramelised king fish with a Thai herb salad, served with a side of traditional sticky rice. Everything is super fresh, and made with local ingredients. Honestly, Time for Lime get the flavours bang on. Made with sweet potato and tofu, it was our first ever taste of a massman dish and we have been hooked ever since! 

Time for Lime Ko Lanta tapas

Dessert was a vegan brownie with crunchy peanut brittle and a perfectly sweet, palette cleansing lemon sorbet - perfect for the two of us to share! Time for Lime was one of the stand out meals of our entire Thailand trip. 

time for lime dessert brownie

At 380THB (approx. £9) for the "Taste of Thailand" and tapas plate, and an extra 120THB (nearly £3) for dessert, it was excellent value for money. We spent roughly £20 on food, which could be considered expensive in Thailand, but you can leave feeling satisfied that some of that money will go towards the care of the cute dogs you walked that morning!

time for lime brownie

I'd love to return to Ko Lanta and volunteer at LAW for a month or two. If I had the time to dedicate to it, I would absolutely adopt one of their rescue dogs. Unfortunately it'll be a while before I'm able to do either of those things but if you happen to be visiting Lanta you can help by doing any of the above, or you can donate here!

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2 comments:

  1. What an amazing experience! This is such a lovely post and is definitely something I would do if I got the chance to visit. I think it would break my heart seeing so many stray dogs but it must be so fulfilling taking some for walks!

    Sammy | http://seekingsammy.com

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    1. Definitely! It's good to see somebody trying to make a difference. Well worth a visit!

      Christy x

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