Home Pack of aggressive dogs in Thailand, how to react?

Pack of aggressive dogs in Thailand, how to react?

by Pierre To
10 minutes to read
Aggressive dogs Thailand

A young New Zealand woman was attacked by a pack of dogs in Thailand, a reminder of some simple rules for dealing with aggressive dogs.

In Thailand, there are often packs of dogs that are quiet during the day but sometimes become aggressive at night, they are especially dangerous for children, but no one is safe from a bite, especially since there are cases of rabies in the country.

There are problems with stray dogs and adopted dogs, the former are often more fearful, the latter are often free to go where they want and gather in packs at night to protect their territories.

New Zealand teenager attacked by a pack of dogs

PS: New Zealanders call themselves "kiwi".

A Kiwi teenager's idyllic holiday in Thailand turned into a nightmare after she was attacked by a pack of stray dogs while running alone on a popular beach.

Sarah Calley, 16, narrowly escaped an attack by 12 wild dogs and only escaped by diving into the sea, where she was forced to walk in the water until the animals lost interest in her.

The Christchurch teenager, who hoped to become a vet, said she now lived in fear of dogs.

During a holiday in January, she had started running early in the morning along the beautiful Nai Yang beach in Phuket, when she felt a jolt of pain and turned around to see a stocky brown dog biting her on the calf.

The pack leader was soon joined by 11 other dogs, who "came from nowhere" to chase Calley, who ran along the beach shouting for help.

"I could hear them behind me and I shouted, 'Help me', but there was no one on the beach," she said. but there was no one on the beach," she said.

The dogs bit her twice before she plunged into the sea.

One of the dogs bit her on the ankle while she was diving into the water.

There, Calley waited until another tourist took her back to the hotel.

However, just five metres from the hotel grounds, the brown dog returned for a second attack, forcing a limping Calley to slam the hotel door.

"I was hysterical and screamed that I was bitten, but hardly anyone spoke English," she said.

She was reunited with her parents, but in shock, found it difficult to make herself understood, as her mother Moira tells us:

"She was standing up, she had her phone in her hand, she was really hysterical and blood was running down her legs."

As the holiday had been arranged as a surprise for Calley and her sister Michaela, the girls had not been vaccinated against rabies.

So Moira took her daughter to the shower to clean the wounds, while her husband rushed to the reception to call a taxi.

Taken to a nearby hospital, Calley received several injections, including rabies vaccines.

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Her skin had not been torn, but she had deep punctures on the back of her leg.

These were treated in medical clinics of "varying quality" every day for the rest of the two-week holiday, and her rabies treatment was completed in New Zealand.

The bites also made Calley uncomfortable a few days later, when her family flew to Cambodia.

She was also unable to swim for the rest of the two-week journey for fear of being infected.

Calley said she had developed a fear of all dogs but was trying to overcome it to achieve her dream of becoming a vet.

The Calley drama comes after last month's New Zealand Herald revealed the problems that can occur when travelling to Thailand.

Since 2009, 150 Kiwis travelling to Thailand have applied to the New Zealand government for overseas medical assistance - the highest number of applications from any country.

But while Kiwis are more often warned about risks, such as drinking alcohol or getting injured during adventurous activities, rabies remains widespread in the country.

A week before the Calley attack in January, the dogs also bit five other tourists, according to an article in the Phuket News.

Southern Cross Insurance chief executive Chris White said animal bite claims, particularly from dogs and monkeys, were not uncommon.

"A number of popular destinations for New Zealanders, such as Thailand, Samoa and the Cook Islands, are home to animals that may appear domesticated," he said.

The Worldwise Travelers Health and Vaccination Center website has stated that tourists should consider rabies vaccination before travelling to Thailand with children who have a "particularly high exposure rate" due to their attraction to stray dogs.

Calley said Kiwi travellers should definitely be wary of stray dogs abroad, as while they may appear friendly, they can suddenly turn aggressive.

"Especially in the morning, it's their hunting time. And don't run because they might see you as prey," she said.

Source: odt.co.nz

Aggressive dog pack: how to react?

Usually they are not a problem, they grunt a bit, but if you just walk by without bothering, they leave you alone.

Now, if they get really aggressive and block your path, there are several solutions that are not necessarily obvious to everyone to put into practice:

The peaceful reaction

  1. already, if you are on foot, you must not run, because then, in their minds, you will be the prey and they will chase you
  2. you should not show your fear, because they will feel it and you should keep calm, remember to take deep breaths and keep your breathing long, this will take away some of the stress and even if they feel your fear, they will be impressed by your calm appearance
  3. one should (not obviously) avoid looking them in the eye, as they see this as a provocation, while keeping a close eye on those who come too close
  4. you should not show them your teeth, for example with an American-style smile, because they also see this as a provocation
  5. you can bend down and pretend to pick up a rock, then hold the fake rock as if you were ready to throw it at them, sometimes this is enough to keep them away
  6. if you have a backpack, umbrella or similar, you can use it as protection, put it in front of the dogs that come closest
  7. take shelter in a high place if you have the possibility to do so
  8. do not turn your back on aggressive dogs who prefer to attack from behind
  9. keep your arms at your side, stitches closed so you don't get bitten
  10. if they approach you growling, swirl a bag or other object (not a steak 😉 ) around you to keep them away
  11. if you have food, give them some to distract them.

The aggressive method

You should always try peaceful methods first, but sometimes they are really too aggressive, and you will have no choice but to defend yourself:

  1. use a stick to scare them by twirling it around you and if you have no choice, hit the body, but not the top of the head which is very hard
  2. if you really have no choice, you can use your fists to strike, the nose is very sensitive and can even kill them.
  3. use pepper, but this can make them more aggressive, or pepper spray, but you will have to buy it locally, as it will not pass through the airport

Aggressive dogs: what to do if bitten

Consult a doctor immediately, as early treatment is essential to reduce the risk of infection.

Wash the area with a mild antibacterial soap and running water to reduce the risk of infection.

Apply an antibiotic ointment and cover with a clean bandage or sterile dressing.

Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before and after treating the wound.

To reduce swelling, apply an ice pack wrapped in a towel or a cold compress (cloth soaked in cold water) to the bruise for 5 to 10 minutes.

If you have been bitten, you should always assume that a stray dog bite is a risk of rabies infection, and therefore need a fast-acting vaccine (rabies immune globulin) that prevents the rabies virus from infecting you.

Rabies vaccines are injected into the arm.

You usually receive four injections over 14 days.

Pack of aggressive dogs: my experience

I like dogs and I don't have any problems in general, except when I'm on a bike, on a motorbike, you just have to pull your legs in and speed up.

I was once in Thailand in a really difficult situation, with a whole group of aggressive dogs barking at me.

I was on my bike and it must have been 1am, if I broke the barrier they would have chased me, so I looked at the one who looked the most aggressive and who I thought was the leader, and I ran into him and chased him for a while.

They all got scared and ran away in terror, because I was not the prey but the hunter and afterwards they never gave me any trouble, they would go away when they saw me coming from a distance.

Otherwise, when I arrive in a new place and there are aggressive dogs on my way in the evening, I always try to take the time to make myself known by stopping and letting them feel my hand, a kind of introduction which sometimes ends in a petting session.

And if they are really aggressive, then I play dominant, I growl at them too, I chase them, it's really very rare that a dog doesn't run away from a human, but it happens, and after this little game, they leave me alone afterwards the other days.

Sources and if you want to go further : guide-de-survie.comwikihow.com ; huahintoday.com ;

See also :

Dangerous animals to know in Thailand

Phuket, the complete guide to the Pearl of Andaman

What to do in Phuket? Top 10 must-do activities in 2018

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