I love field clinics. They are a huge aspect of the work of PAWS � both in terms of sterilising and treating the animals, and in helping to educate people about animal management. They can be fun, they can be heart breaking and they always have their fair share of interesting moments.

It�s important to be aware that sometimes it is impossible to catch an animal by means of walking up to him and scooping him up in your arms. For reasons known only to the animal, some shy away from human contact as quickly as I shy away from hen parties. Therefore, in such circumstances, we need to blow dart them (the animals, not the hen parties).

People have, from time to time, enquired as to why we use this method. �Surely it causes them more distress?� they ask. Well, the truth is the blow dart subjects the animal to no more than a minor bee sting in terms of pain and the �pain� which the animal initially feels upon being darted quickly disseminates as the anaesthetic begins to work and the animal �goes under�.

It�s also worth bearing in mind that not blow darting the animal may mean that an injured or diseased animal will be in far more pain and distress for a much longer time if we can�t get close enough to treat it. Conversely, we are sometimes required to blow dart highly aggressive animals, as it�s the only safe method of getting near them.

Such was the case on a recent visit to Coral Island. Just as we were setting up the operations area, a young man approached us and showed some horrific scars from a dog bite. In turned out that the dog in question was not only highly aggressive, having bitten a number of people, but also still roaming around the island � and Coral Island has it�s fair share of tourists.

Indeed, he was a very, VERY big boy. Complete with thick, heavy coat, and deep, dark penetrating eyes (the kind that would make Miss Manolo go weak at the knees). He was a cross between a grizzly bear and a Samurai warrior � and an animal not to be taken lightly.

So we darted him and once back at the clinic, after consulting with the local people, the decision was made to put him to sleep. It�s always sad to euthanise an animal, regardless of the reason � but the fact of the matter is, he was a big, strong, aggressive dog living in a busy island community. He could easily have killed a young child.

However, field clinics are busy places, and within minutes of dropping off �the bear�, my colleague was calling me over to assist with another animal he had to blow dart � this time due to fear, rather than aggression. Of course, the other trick with blow darting is that it does take a minute or two for the drugs to take their full effect � and a dog can run a fair distance in 30 seconds, let alone a minute or two.

So, of course, you have to follow a darted dog until he comes to rest � even if that means heading straight up hill, through the brambles, over the bushes, knee deep in mud, slime, bugs and large spider webs (complete with large spiders). This particular dog was rampaging up the mountain side like a possessed mountain goat while yours truly was lagging behind, trying not to concern myself with what was to follow.

You see, you�re probably thinking that the hard part is getting the dog? Wrong. That�s the easy part. The hard part, and believe me, this was hard � is getting back down the mountain with a sleeping dog in your arms. As I said, field clinics are always interesting.

From running up mountains to catch wayward dogs, to listening to cats singing what could only be the Spanish National Anthem in unison as they come round from the anaesthetic � there is always something which raises an eyebrow... and a smile.

We�re always happy to take on volunteers on our field clinics, and if you�d like to help, feel free to get in touch (we promise not to dart you). Email us at: paws@phuket-animal-welfare.com or got to www.phuket-animal-welfare.com/