Catalia is a French-Thai Phuket native. She’s a vegan and animal lover who has adopted two street dogs. Her family also takes care of many stray cats on their hotel resort on nearby PhiPhi Island. During photo shoots, stray dogs spontaneously visit her on the beach.

Wear #PuppySavingPants When Wearing Bohemian Island

“We only get one chance to walk this beautiful planet so why not be as colorful as possible while we’re here and try to spread some positivity through the clothes we wear?”

James Smith, Founder and CEO of fun fashion company Bohemian Island left a busy corporate life in the West for Thailand where he was inspired by the overall positivity found in the Land of Smiles. He says, “The style of our pants is very much inspired by the Thai people. Put comfort first and always wear them with a smile.”

Saving Stray Dogs

When James moved to Thailand, the lifelong dog lover wanted to stop and help every stray dog and cat he passed on the streets. “My heart would break every day. I knew I wanted to do something to help, so I searched for a local group and found Soi Dog. Locals were speaking very highly of the work they were doing so I paid them a visit and was blown away. I couldn’t possibly start a business selling Thai-made clothing without giving back to the local community.”

You can wear #PuppySavingPants with pride since Bohemian Island donates 10% of net profits to the Soi Dog Foundation as well as other Thai-based animal welfare organizations.

Soi Dog Foundation

Soi Dog Foundation’s holistic approach to working with animals includes providing shelter, supporting rescue efforts, offering medical treatment, sterilization of stray animals, vaccination, and advocacy for animal welfare across Asia. Since 2003, when Soi Dog became active in their efforts to run spay and neuter clinics for stray animals in Phuket, Thailand, the population of strays on the island has dropped from more than 80,000 to a current estimate of 5,000. They also maintain a hospital dedicated to the treatment of street dogs.

Soi Dog Foundation President and Co-Founder John Dalley says, “Our aim is simple: to see no more stray dogs not only in Thailand but throughout Asia. A huge task, but what we’re doing here is setting an example that such a target can be achieved. It’s not only a case of caring for the dogs but also solving a social issue. It’s a situation where we need to reduce the suffering by reducing the population. Capture, neuter, vaccinate, release is very much at the core of what we do.”

Supporters Make a Difference for Stray Animals

Dalley continues, “There are an awful lot of stray animals here, and many local people don’t want them around. If one comes near their house they can be quite violent in getting rid of it or even in some cases poisoning them. We’ve seen all kinds of horror stories, including drunk gangs attacking dogs with machetes and other objects. It can be horrific and terribly cruel. We are all they’ve got really. There’s no national organization here, it’s usually groups like ourselves and smaller ones around Thailand which are generally set up by foreigners that remain the only hope for the strays here.”

Dalley says, “It’s our supporters who make the difference. We are totally reliant on great people.” James Smith, everyone at Bohemian Island, and the people worldwide who purchase the clothing all make a difference. They are all part of this far-flung team of supporters who are positively impacting the lives of street dogs and cats throughout Asia.

Learn More about #PuppySavingPants

For more information about Bohemian Island, visit: bohemianisland.com.

Soi Dog Foundation is located in Phuket, Thailand and is open to visitors, volunteers, donations, and people able to adopt rescued animals. For more information about the work of Soi Dog Foundation, visit: soidog.org.