Veterinary Care on Koh Tao
We are incredibly lucky to have an exceptionally good Koh Tao animal clinic that takes great care of all of the island’s animals. We also have a 24hour Koh Tao Rescue service, which is happy to help out with the movement or location of any unwanted or stranded wildlife.
Koh Tao Animal Clinic
Founded in 2002, the Koh Tao Animal Clinic tends to animals owned by Koh Tao residents. It also works a lot with strays and ‘neighbourhood pets’. Many of the animals on Koh Tao don’t have one particular owner. Rather they adopt an area, street, or group of businesses where the residents feed, water, and generally keep an eye on them communally.
The Koh Tao Animal Clinic is run by the head vet, Dr. Jae Supaphon Intarasksa. It is also supported by a team of assistants who help with operations, animal capture, and relocation. Services available include:
- Emergency and accident care
- Vaccinations
- Neutering and sterilisation
- Microchipping
- Preparing animals for long-haul travel/relocation
- Dog and cat grooming
- Animal food supplies
- Pet equipment and accessories
Volunteers & Donations
Tourists on Koh Tao regularly comment that the local dog and cat populations are much healthier than in other Thailand tourism destinations. This is largely thanks to the hard work put in by the Koh Tao Animal Clinic. In addition to the services listed above, the Koh Tao Animal Clinic also runs a Capture Neuter Return (CNR) program. This is for the stray cat and dog populations on the island. Litters of stray kittens and puppies are regularly brought to the animal clinic. They stay in the accommodation there until they can be fostered or re-homed. This means that there are always some cute kitties to play with and adorable dogs to walk. The animal clinic actively encourages drop-in visits and welcomes volunteers. So if you find yourself with some spare time, be sure to stop by!
The vast majority of pets on Koh Tao are rescue animals. They have been through the Koh Tao Animal Clinic at some point. Mostly the clinic sees cats and dogs, but also tends to some of Koh Tao’s more unusual creatures such as birds, lizards, snakes, turtles, and even the odd boar or wild pig!
The clinic is self-funded and does not receive any money or assistance from foundations or charities. Even with the money from paying customers and the sale of food and pet supplies, it often struggles to make ends meet and cover all the costs of tending to stray and un-homed animals. So donations are readily accepted and gratefully received. Even a small donation can help, all money goes directly to helping take care of the animals of Koh Tao.
You can find more information and details on how you can donate some time, money, or skills on the Koh Tao Animal Clinic website.
