Payap University’s
communication arts students were shocked and angered when some
of the stray dogs they had been feeding and caring for were
killed by people whom they suspected would also sell the dogs
for meat to a local market. They contacted Lanna Dog Rescue,
whose Buddhist leader faxed Payap’s new president, the
Rev. Dr. Pradit Takerngrangsarit, calling on this Christian
university to show more compassion for God’s creatures.
“The fax made its way to the chaplain’s office,
and with the help of Lanna Dog Rescue we started a ‘Changing
Stray Dogs to Community Dogs’ group made up of staff,
teachers, and students,” writes mission co-worker Esther
Wakeman. “We took a census of our stray dog population,
organized people to feed and care for them more systematically,
and began a sterilization program for our community dogs and
our neighbors’ cats and dogs. Some people still think
stray dogs should be killed, but with the support of our president,
other administrators, and kind neighbors, we hope to show those
folks that when as a community we take a bit more responsibility
for these creatures, ultimately we will reduce most of the problems
they cause.
“We hope that our example will spread to other schools
and communities in Chiang Mai and around Thailand. Along the
way we are making new friends and delighting in the loyalty
and beauty of the four-legged ones. Not all of us are Christians,
but we work and study together at a Christian university that
stands as a beacon of light and love. God is transforming a
community problem into a community builder and turning disappointment
and despair into hope and help.” |
