This is the story of two very lucky dogs…. dogs that by all rights should not be alive today. They are alive today because angels walk among us and many have stepped in and come to their rescue just when all hope seemed lost… not once or twice but several times. This is the story of two dogs who despite all they have been through continue to love and trust. This story is nothing short of a miracle.
Meet Spike and Bailey who arrived into Chicago on July 27, 2016 from Koh Samui, Thailand in hope of finding their long awaited happiness.
When both Spike and Bailey were first rescued, they were just young dogs who were someone’s loved and treasured pets before their abduction. The dog meat trade smugglers don’t discriminate though and will take all dogs regardless if they are someone’s pet or not. In fact, 25% of dogs rescued from the DMT have collars and tags as was the case with Spike and Bailey. Pet dogs are actually easier prey for the smugglers as the come easily to people with a kind word and a treat.
Spike and Bailey had been shoved and manipulated into a ‘crush cage’, about to be illegally smuggled across Thailand’s border into Laos and then Vietnam where she would have been slowly tortured before being eaten – a customary practice, as adrenaline is thought to make dog meat more tasty. Luckily, they were saved in the nick of time …. but the suffering didn’t end there. The Thai Royal Police, suspicious of a large tarp-covered truck that was about to cross the northern border, discovered dozens of dogs huddling in terror and crushed into rusty wire cages like sardines.
Spike and Bailey and dozens of others in her shipment were rescued and sent to an overcrowded government livestock center – saved, BUT NOT SAFE. Unfortunately many dogs cannot survive at these facilities due to overcrowding, lack of food and clean water, lack of medical care, and deadly diseases and dog fights. Most dogs perished within weeks of arrival to Khemmarat during this time. They had survived one hell hole to go into a new kind of hell. Being small and not used to fending for their survival they did not fair well at the Khemmarat as is the case with many other small dogs who were thrown into a survival of the fittest environment. They were bullied by other dogs and had no where to hide.
During this time, many volunteers would show up and photograph the dogs at the government shelter and post on social media in hopes someone would see their faces and pleas of help and come to the rescue. Luckily, Charlotte Amon, saw Spike and Bailey’s photos and she answered their desperate pleas and intervened to save their lives. She sponsored and transported the two to go to Bangkok for medical treatment and then on to the Thai island of Koh Samui. Charlotte continues to be their guardian angel and has sponsored their food and medical costs at Elfe’s World all this time. Charlotte and Elfe did not give up and were committed for the long haul.
Since that time – in 2013, almost 3 years –they have lived at Elfesworld dog sanctuary with nearly 700 other dogs, most of them fellow dog meat trade victims. They were safe and so happy to be there with dog mom Elfe, who loves all her “babies”.
But they were lonely and longed for human attention. They desperately vies for attention from rare visitors to the sanctuary, clearly craving nothing more from life than a home and people to call their own. Spike and Bailey love each other and have been together since rescue however both can be frightened by other dogs and haven’t yet learned that other dogs don’t intend to do them harm or take their resources.
Spike and Bailey arrived into Chicago on July 27th and are relearning the joys and comfort of life in a home! It is a splendid and truly amazing transformation to be a part of…. you can see the joy emerge and the spark return to their eyes. Nothing short of a life transformed… a life saved. Now they patiently await joining their very own families where they will be forever loved and cared for. Both dogs are looking for their forever homes. Please contact Dawn at 414-426-4148 if interested.