Whisper

Sweet little submissive poodle mix Whisper survived the dog meat trade only to be brutally attacked one day by many of the dogs she had peacefully shared her run with for over a year.

Whisper survived but her confidence was badly shaken – and since Elfe was terrified she would be targeted again, she lived mainly in a cage thereafter.

For three interminable years (almost one in a cage), Whisper awaited a home and family of her very own.

Today, Whisper lives in beautiful Portland, Oregon with her adoring family. She has captivated them with her charm and intelligence, and they, in turn, shower her with love like she has never known!

Whisper was only a young puppy, a street dog born to a street dog, when she was stolen off the streets of Thailand.

She would have been hidden in a jungle pit with many other poor souls until enough were collected, then transported many brutal days in the heat only to be illegally smuggled across the northern border of Thailand. By truck and boat, all the while horribly cramped into a “crush cage” with many others, and kept without food or water, she would move across borders to a meat market, where she would have been trussed like a chicken and chosen by a passerby to be tortured before being served on a plate (adrenaline is said to improve the flavor of dog meat).

Whisper did survive this terrible journey, but the truck she and many others were hidden on – under cover of a heavy, hot, suffocating tarp – was apprehended by suspicious members of Thailand’s Royal Police force in a rescue much like the one pictured below.

By the time most of these transport trucks are discovered, many unlucky dogs have already succumbed to either injury (cages are stacked one atop the other without regard for protruding limbs or necks), dehydration, heat exhaustion, or disease.

Whisper survived – but like many others, had been ironically “saved” only to be transported many more hours by truck to Nakhon Phanom, one of several government-run holding facilities for dogs rescued from smugglers.

Once unloaded there and uncaged, at long last, dogs can finally stretch their legs and access food, water, and shelter.

However, life in the overcrowded government livestock centers is very difficult. Workers do their best to house and feed so many incoming victims of the meat trade, but the runs overflow with new victims daily and there is often not enough food to go around safely, nor enough veterinary supplies and caretakers to handle such an ongoing influx.

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Most of the dogs picked up by smugglers are soi (street) dogs who are unneutered and unvaccinated, so fighting abounds, as does disease.

Kind-hearted volunteers and Good Samaritans do visit the shelters as much as possible, documenting the plight of these dogs, taking their photos and telling their stories to dog lovers around the world.

Sometimes, this saves a life.

These photos saved Whisper’s life.

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Here is Whisper at the vet clinic in Bangkok after she had finally left the overcrowded government livestock center. Besides medical care to bring her back to good health, she needed a serious haircut due to her matted coat!

Whisper, just after arriving at Elfesworld.

Happier days in a large run with many playmates, before trouble began.

The attack – several dogs viciously ganging up on her at once – that almost stole Whisper’s life happened in a matter of moments and was completely without warning. Luckily, Elfe’s right-hand-man Mr. Fak was on hand and intervened immediately, pulling her out from under a pile of dogs.

In this photo, she was playing with other dogs in her run – but already, Elfe and Mr. Fak were growing concerned due to increasing roughness often beginning to be directed at gentle Whisper.

Whisper at the vet getting antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, pain meds, fluids, and being stitched together again after the attack.

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Whisper was always a visitor favorite at Elfesworld. She simply lived for cuddling and human affection.

She waited so long for a home and family to call her own – nearly three years.

Her new family was worth the wait!!

Whisper loved the company of other dogs but she had to be be kept lonely and isolated much of each day to guard her own safety. And tragically, she lived that way for almost a year.

In June of this summer, thanks to the services of a kind flight volunteer, Whisper flew to Seattle where her new parents picked her up and drove her to her forever home in Portland.

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Now, life is wonderful!

Her new family adores her and send us many lovely updates, photos, and videos. This was part of their update a few weeks into her new life, back in late June of this summer:

– She likes to cuddle with her new family, gently lick them, and stare at them with her “soulful” eyes (their description, which photos show is quite apt) – but she is very polite and good at giving a bit of space. She has also discovered the joy of jumping up on the sofa for snuggles.

– She is eating well, but once she discovered canned food, she immediately decided it is the best thing on earth! However, she is a good girl about eating her dry food anyway (even if reluctantly – LOL) and they are now discovering which tidbits she likes best as treats.
– She knows how to sit, lie down, stay, fetch, and has many other tricks she has been happy to show off! She is a quick study and delights her family with her smarts and her joy of learning!

– She LOVES to go out for walks! She will run to the door and scratch at it, and if that does not instantly work, she will find her family and sit in front of them and block their path and STARE at them with her big brown eyes until they feel guilted out of eating or whatever they are doing and take her for a walk – little stinker! She is brave and excited by every new experience and interested in all the smells. She is loving exploring her new world. Her pet parents are retired so they enjoy taking her for long walks through the neighborhood and around a nearby university campus, which she enjoys mightily.

– She loves her dog bed, and keeps her stuffed puppy with her when she lies down. Also she has a bed in her crate and if the door is left open, she will occasionally go in there to have a little lie down.

– She saw her new doggie doctor today for the first time and was a model patient! Super friendly and tail didn’t stop wagging, with each new person she met. Everyone there thought she was so cute and unusual-looking, and when they heard she was from Thailand…and then learned she was saved from the dog meat trade…the staff were fascinated and curious, asking many questions of her new family. She was quite the little star at the vet’s office, apparently!

A month after her arrival, Ayize and I visited Portland in July and were thrilled to visit her in her new digs.

She is truly living the life of Riley!! Her family loves her so, and it was a lot of fun to see this former street dog, now living life as the princess of her new palace!

Whisper continues to do amazing and her family updates us regularly with photos and videos. Most recently, extended family visited from out of town, including a young child – and guess who was the model doggie??

Whisper’s future is secure now – at long last, and after much suffering and quite a long wait…she is HOME! Dogs like Whisper are why we do what we do.

Thank you for reading her story!

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Thank you to Khun Bee in Thailand for taking photos of so many dogs like Whisper and sharing them with the world to ask for international help.
Thank you to Britta for sponsoring Whisper out of Nakhon Phanom, ensuring her safety after she had been vetted and transferred to Elfesworld dog sanctuary on the island of Koh Samui, Thailand.
Thank you to Claudia, who sponsored Whisper’s monthly food and medication bills for many years at Elfesworld.
Thank you most of all to Elfe, who has dedicated her life to saving so many lives that the world might have otherwise forgotten. Her sanctuary currently houses over 650 dogs, pulled from extreme need and cruelty. Many dogs are still in need of inexpensive monthly sponsorship, and one-off donations to improve and maintain structures or for medical emergencies are always welcome as well.
Please visit Elfesworld here on Facebook to learn more about how you can help change the lives of dogs like Whisper.