Pet Placement Resource Needed in Laos

June 30, 2010 7:00 PM

What pet adoption placement and/or listing resources exist in Laos, for a found stray kitten?

Resources in Luang Prabang, Veng Vieng or Vientienne preferred, but anywhere in Laos would be helpful.

posted by zarq to pets & animals (8 answers total)

Friends of mine met a dog in Thailand and actually brought him back to the US. Based on their fairly reasonable experience, I'd suggest this as a possibility if you're really invested in this kitten but fail to find adoption placement or other resources. I realize that Laos and Thailand will have completely different regulations for animal export, but ... doesn't hurt to try, right?

Good luck.
posted by sciencegeek at 7:14 PM on June 30, 2010 [1 favorite]

Don't solely rely on the internet, find out how people communicate/advertise locally and do that as well.

If the kitten must live at any cost, adopt it yourself or pay someone else to do it.
posted by shinybaum at 7:39 PM on June 30, 2010

Don't know if this is a subsite that anyone uses. Maybe try the wild animal people? Maybe some of them are involved with domesticated animals. The internet says: ARLYNE JOHNSON, CHANTHAVY VONGKHAMHENG, VENEVONGPHET, THAVISOUK SAITHONGDAM AND MICHAEL HEDEMARK, Wildlife Conservation Society-Lao PDR Program, Box 6712, Vientiane, Lao PDR, Unit 15, House No. 173, Ban Sisavad Tai, Chanthabuly District, [e-mail], Tel: [phone]. (I combined a couple of addresses listed, so it probably looks weird.)
posted by ClaudiaCenter at 8:01 PM on June 30, 2010

Email for Hedemark -- [e-mail]
posted by ClaudiaCenter at 8:21 PM on June 30, 2010

You could try posting this question on the Petfinder.com forums. The vast majority of the content there is geared toward those in the US, but you never know who has contacts in other parts of the world.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 9:02 PM on June 30, 2010

Caveat: I have not been in Laos in almost 10 years.

I would target the local expat population. It's not big, but there are some, many of whom are NGO workers. This will be your best target because of the language barrier and because, frankly, Westerners are more likely to be soft-hearted about stray animals.

Some places I would have put up signs in 2001:

- Bars owned by expats (there are several places around Wat Mixay).
- Local NGO-CORD office if there is one.
- Swedish Bakery

Ask around to find out where local international NGO workers hang out. I also seem to recall there was an English language newspaper. You might also try the Lonely Planet Thorn Tree Laos forum.
posted by lunasol at 11:39 PM on June 30, 2010 [1 favorite]

My impression of Laos was that, while the people there were awesome, they weren't as net-savvy as other South East Asian nations were. (Which in no way is a slight, just my experience getting official documentation; the Laos bureaucracy was rather web and email-agnostic)

In short, seconding lunasol here with a Feb 2010 observation: I'd say that you're better off targetting signboards in those ex-pat-y/ tourist-y coffee-shops such as Swedish bakery or JoMa, specifically their older branch near Wat Mixay.
posted by the cydonian at 6:22 AM on July 1, 2010

Definitely expats. This is an expat women's social group. Explain your story. Be credible, and if you meet someone face to face try not to be scruffy. Sob stories from backpackers are ten a penny.

I'd also try the International School - you're looking for mums and kids if you're looking to appeal to someone's sense of charity. Failing that, I'd ask them if they know of any other expat women's clubs, of which there are likely to be either one or two formal ones (like above), ones based around an Embassy, or just informal coffee mornings/bridge mornings.

There is also, apparently, an Australian Embassy Recreational Club, which would be worth contacting also.

You could do worse than putting up a cute pic and a bit of the story on the British, Aussie and US embassy notice boards.

When I've been an expat, I've found that there's always been someone who's prepared to act either as an adopter or a fosterer for strays with nowhere else to go. That applies even in some far flung places.

Finally - expats - by which I don't mean the aged lushes that move to Laos for cheap beer and cheaper women - often congregate around a place or hotel with a decent pool or tennis facilities.
posted by MuffinMan at 7:20 AM on July 1, 2010 [2 favorites]