A man in Thailand is dedicating his life to rescuing street dogs after a near-death experience. He has been sharing updates with dog lovers about a seriously ill dog whose life is in a precarious state, and his followers are hoping for her recovery.
Niall Harbison, a recovering alcoholic originally from Ireland but now residing in Thailand, cares for approximately 80 dogs and aims to assist 10,000 street dogs each month in the future.
After a period of depression and anxiety led to a drinking binge that landed him in intensive care, Harbison decided to make a significant change in his life.
Harbison spends thousands of dollars every month on keeping his dog sanctuary, Happy Doggo running, alongside crowdfunding via his social media platforms, with donations helping to pay for veterinary care of the dogs that come his way.
His Instagram account has gone from just 800 followers two years ago to 1.2million today – with fans keen to see content on how he’s transforming the lives of the dogs he’s coming into contact with.
He explained how he began rescuing street dogs after he almost lost his life to alcohol abuse. ‘I started the mission after ending up in ICU in hospital. I nearly drank myself to death because I suffered from anxiety and depression. I spent three days there and when nearly dying I vowed to change my life and do something meaningful.
He said he started looking after one dog, Lucky, but ‘the bag of food just got bigger and bigger going to four dogs then eight, and then eventually up to 80 dogs per day.’
Currently, his followers are keeping a close eye on a dog called Alba, a dog he posted about yesterday, explaining that she’d been found chained up, and extremely emaciated.
BEFORE: Alba was chained up and extremely emaciated when she was rescued – and according to Niall, her health is still in the balance
In posts on X (formerly Twitter) , he explained: ‘We rescued little Alba 36 hours ago. Her life is still very much in the balance but I’ve had some little wins with her today. We have hope now and that’s the most important.’
He added: ‘She’s on her third dose of medicines already. They’ve thrown her off her appetite for most of the day but are staying down. The medicines could kill her is the worry but we have to try something urgently.’
The animal rescuer then shared a video of himself grooming Alba, explaining that: ‘I didn’t want to stress her too much but the big ugly chain marks were on her neck. I told her that if she looks good she’ll feel good. Along with all the ticks being gone these are huge wins.’
Despite managing to get Alba to eat, and even take a little walk, he was mindful that she still isn’t out of the woods, writing: ‘We have to be mindful her chances of survival are still small. Her weight is one thing but the heart worms, kidneys under attack and heart worms are going to be tough to fight. The only focus is one more days survival. Every day is a win.’
However, this morning, Harbison shared several videos on Instagram, showing some cautious optimism that Alba seems to be improving.
While he reminded followers that sick dog can see their health decline very quickly, he described Alba as seeming ‘more alive’ than when he first took her in.
One particularly promising video showed the pooch eating as she enthusiastically wagged her tail.
The video was accompanied by text that said: ‘Alba is up and alive and eating this morning. Look at that tail.’
AFTER: Around some 36 hours in the charity’s care, Alba is already starting to look much healthier
According to the charity’s website, it was in early 2021 when Niall Harbison was recovering from a near-death experience caused by substance abuse that he started jogging around Koh Samui, Thailand in an effort to get back on track.
He started bringing food to many of the malnourished dogs he saw en route, and started sharing videos of the animals online.
The site adds: ‘Niall’s videos started to attract the attention of people all over the world who wanted to help.
‘He began feeding and vaccinating as many dogs as he could, but he quickly realised that sterilisation was the only way to fix the problem long-term.’
While he has gained more than a million Instagram followers, and helped many animals, he has huge plans.
‘Niall secured a piece of land and set about making a sanctuary for dogs to recuperate, taking in only the most sick and vulnerable dogs,’ says the charity website. ‘He named it after Tina, the golden retriever he rescued in Thailand who inspired a movement.
‘It will be located adjacent to Happy Doggo Land. With approximately 3,117 square feet of medical facilities, it will host two operating theatres, diagnostic facilities such as x-rays, as well as an in-house lab, a pharmacy, an intensive care unit, and overnight capacity for approximately 15 dogs.’
To donate to Niall’s street dog rescue, visit Happy Doggo.
