In my adventures with Apple’s Animal Aid I have seen both the dark side of people and also the lengths individuals will go to help animals. It’s been emotionally trying, but births a level of motivation to change the current status for animals around the world. Bangkok has been an incredible experience for just that and I believe it is essential for every human to go through when they hit a plateau. When working in animal welfare you become numb. You see so many kill lists, animals in need, people that need help, and you become used to it. As my old ballet teacher would describe it, I have recently “torn the calluses off of my heart and been able to feel again.”  This is essential for motivation and productivity, although it is not always fun, it is important. If you over do it, you will also enter a dangerous area, but to just become aware of others struggles is an important thing.

On our way to pick up some cats to take to the vet, Apple led me to a temple. Apple is famous for leading you to unexpected places and you don’t ask questions until later. Behind this trash ridden temple was a man that was excited to see us, and by us I mainly mean Apple. His name is Chin and he resides in a makeshift space made partly out of a dog kennel behind the Temple. He crawls into it every night to sleep curled up in the small space. It becomes ridden with roaches which he has the wounds to prove. This space has no electricity so after dark he uses candles when he has the extra money. The temple has some water he can shower with attached to the building. To shower he fills up a bucket, drags it behind his small “home” and is able to shower that way.

When we arrived we walked into construction workers clearing out some trash for the Temple. They also agreed to build Chin a slightly more suitable living space. This space is about the size of a small bathroom, but will be better than his current situation. The temple does not provide him with any drinking water, food, electricity, bedding, etc. They keep him around to feed the 25 cats that live there and keep the Temple area tidy, but repay him with very little. During the day Chin used to bike around to collect plastic bottles to trade for money, but with growing age and medical issues his back cannot withstand the kilometres any longer. This has removed his main source of income and being illiterate it is very difficult to find a way to replace it.

Apple’s Animal Aid brings him cat food for the cats that he loves so dearly and sometimes will also give the man money for basic living and food. Apple’s Animal Aid has been able to spay and neuter all of these temple cats and keeps on the job as people abandon their pets here. We hope to set him up with a mattress, camping stove to boil water for warm showers or cooking, small cart to transport the buckets of water easier, cheap pre paid cell phone, electricity and some basic living needs that will make his life a little more enjoyable. If you’re interested in helping please email me at Demi@DemisAnimalRescue.com and we will go and deliver these things to Uncle Chin and his temple cats.