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Thailand's temples overrun with stray dogs
November 20, 1997
Web posted at: 11:14 p.m. EST (0414 GMT)BANGKOK, Thailand (CNN) -- There's a old Thai saying that "temple dogs never starve to death."
But that old axiom is being put to the test, thanks to Thailand's economic downturn.
As money becomes tighter, residents of Bangkok have been abandoning their pet dogs in droves at Buddhist temples, traditional sanctuaries for dogs in need. At one temple more than 300 stray dogs have taken up residence.
As times worsen, donations to the temple have also decreased, forcing Koon Sae-Heng, a homeless man who lives on the temple grounds and takes care of the dogs, to decrease their rations. But he vows that no matter how hard things get, he won't abandon them.
Koon Sae-Heng cares for the dogs Small version: 849K/23 sec. QuickTime Movie
Large version: 1.8MB/23 sec. QuickTime Movie
Related sites:
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- It's a dog's life - Bangkok Post
- A typical Buddhist temple in Thailand
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