Sometimes even the simplest act of gratitude can change someone’s entire day, especially when that someone works really hard to be able to feed 80 stray dogs per day.
Each morning, countless street dogs chase Niall Harbison to get their daily meal, except one, named Snickers, who, no matter her hunger, is always peeling off to get something special to him.
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Snickers will always peel away to retrieve a gift for Niall while the other dogs just chase him to get their meal
Niall, CEO at the charity Happy Doggo, which helps to reduce the suffering of dogs worldwide, with particular focus on Thailand and South East Asia, feeds and helps many dogs every day.
“I feed 80 street dogs every morning in Thailand and while they are all grateful, one dog goes above and beyond in her appreciation,” Niall shared the note on his social media. “Her name is Snickers and every single day without fail she brings me a gift.”
Her gifts change daily and are very carefully thought out. From coconuts, water bottles, and sticks to footwear, Snickers is always trying to show her gratitude in the most beautiful and unexpected ways.
“She even brought me a digger to help with the work on Tina’s hospital,” Niall said and added that would be also times when the dog would bring an old plastic bag. The whole difference is in how she does it. Snickers always delivers them so proudly and with such enthusiasm that it makes all the gifts truly special.
“I don’t think you need to be a genius to see that as long as you give them food and love and a safe place, dogs will be loyal to you for ever – they’re not going to run away from you. They’re going to give you their whole heart,” the man shared.
Image credits: Happy Doggo
The entire story started back in 2021, when Niall Harbison was recovering from a near-death experience caused by deep addiction to illegal substances and alcohol. Trying to get back on track, he started jogging around Koh Samui, Thailand and noticed many stray dogs; therefore, he started to bring them some food and later shared videos about it online.
It didn’t take long for Niall’s videos to attract the attention of people all over the world. They all wanted to help.
“There are dogs on every corner. They have a very tough life, and they do get fed. But [in terms of] medical care, it’s nothing like people’s pets at home,” he explained.
Niall tried to feed and vaccinate as many dogs as he could, but he quickly realized that sterilization was the only way to make a difference that could be felt long-term. Therefore, he started to spay dogs in 2022 as part of his mission to save 10,000 dogs per month.
“What I do remember is how hard it was for 6-8 months I was doing them alone. I wanted to feel the pain, understand the problems and catch the dogs myself. I got bitten 3 times and crawled under many shacks and ran up hills and into rivers after dogs. I only managed to do 302 sterilizations in those first 8 months as I had to drive 2 per day to the vets myself,” Niall recalled the memories.
“That experience was absolutely crucial in forming my understanding of how hard it is but also how important this was for the dogs. In my local area I could see the small difference it was making,” he added and mentioned that it took 2.5 years, but by now, in Koh Samui, 90-95% of dogs are sterilized and the situation seems stable.
Now, Happy Doggo also has a sanctuary in Koh Samui to treat dogs with any serious conditions from broken bones to cancer, yet this was only the starting point.
Niall and many other volunteers are expecting to sterilize approximately 50,000 dogs this year and start a much bigger movement for a brighter future all over the world. The goal is truly astonishing – to reduce the world’s street dog population from 500 million to 250 million.
Niall Harbison, who lives in Thailand, is on a mission to save 10,000 dogs a month
Stray dogs are huge problem in Thailand; it is estimated that around 1.6 million are abandoned by their owners. Unlike in many other countries, where local dog catchers round them up, this is very rare there, so the poor animals have to fight for their lives in terrible conditions.
Snickers perfectly knows that Niall Harbison is one of those few people making a truly remarkable difference, saving the dogs not only from suffering, hunger and diseases, but also creating a much brighter future for them, and that’s why she gives her entire heart to show her gratitude for Niall’s kindness.
Snickers’s thoughtful and truly kind gesture melted hearts all over the internet
