When it comes to Animal Management there are a number of terms bandied around to the general public that relate, in some way, to the way they can help.

ADOPTION

This is the most straightforward method of obtaining an animal from PAWS. Quite simply, if you wish to take an animal into your home on a permanent basis � you can adopt one. In doing so, you are taking on the full responsibility of owning and caring for a pet. If you adopt an animal through PAWS we will guarantee free veterinary care for up to one year but you will need to pay for things such as food, a lead and collar and bedding.

FOSTERING

We all know there are hundreds of stray dogs and cats here on the island. Once PAWS has sterilised them, checked them for infections and so on, the animals are returned to the beaches, temples or villages from where they came. Two of the key problems we face are that, due to the sheer numbers of animals, we cannot keep them all in our clinic and, secondly, we have no idea about the background of individual animals � which is important for people who wish to adopt. By taking these animals in, Foster Parents can assess them during the time the animal is with them to identify key traits which will be used to re-home the animal when someone wishes to adopt.

Some of the things Foster Parents will be looking for while fostering an animal would be:

� Is this dog good with other dogs, or cats or children? Or does it growl and fight with them?

� Does the animal need a lot of exercise or is it fairly docile?

� How much does the animal eat?

What PAWS is trying to pre-empt is the possibility that someone will adopt an animal, only to return it later because �it doesn�t fit well in our home�. The PAWS Foster Homes programme is geared specifically to provide people with as much information about the animals as possible, prior to their being re-homed, thereby reducing the risk of the animals being returned.

Even if you aren�t sure you can handle a pet in your home, this programme may prove beneficial not only to PAWS and the animals concerned, but to you too. Through this programme, while assessing the animal in your care for the benefit of future owners, you can also assess whether owning a pet is really for you or not � you may be quite surprised.

SPONSORSHIP

With literally hundreds and hundreds of stray dogs and cats roaming the island, you can appreciate the size of the task PAWS is undertaking and in order to continue to do the work we do, we rely on funding from the generous public.

You can choose to sponsor an individual animal that we have in our care. What this means is that you are paying PAWS a monthly fee of 500 baht. This money is purely used to feed, treat and look after the animal you choose.

You will receive a photo of your sponsor and regular updates if you wish, so you can see how he, or she, is progressing. The Sponsorship Programme is ideal for people who truly want to get involved and help, but for their own reasons can�t bring an animal into their own home.

If you would like to adopt, foster or sponsor an animal, then please get in touch with us at PAWS. Email us at: paws@phuket-animal-welfare.com or got to www.phuket-animal-welfare.com/