The Irish man who turned dog days on Koh Samui into a rescue story to reduce Thailand’s strays

Niall Harbison aims to reduce Thailand’s street dog population through sterilisation and care, gaining global attention and celebrity support

His daily efforts to rescue ill and injured street dogs on Thailand’s Koh Samui have captured the affection of many online – even earning a permanent home for a stray with Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher.

Now Niall Harbison has a bigger dream: to reduce the street dog population across all of Thailand by half and, eventually, expand his efforts worldwide.

“It’s a big goal, but I believe it’s possible – with sterilisation, education and community collaboration. If we can do it on an island like Samui, we can do it nationwide,” Harbison told This Week in Asia from his Happy Doggo centre on the southern island.

His dog saving days attract hundreds of thousands of social media followers, starting with early morning feeding for 1,200 canines who line quiet island roads, waiting expectantly for their breakfast.

On his rounds, he often discovers rescues – scared abandoned puppies, injured or sick animals. Back at his centre, volunteers arrive early to walk the dogs or prepare the 250kg of food needed for daily feeding.

“It’s hard, nonstop work,” said Harbison, who is from Ireland but started his dog work on the Thai island more than three years ago.

“Our focus is simple: feeding, sterilising, and providing medical care – doing everything we can to create the best life possible for the dogs.”

Thailand has a stray dog problem, with an estimated 8 million roaming the country, according to Thai dog rescue charities. Stray dogs are often seen as a public nuisance, barking, biting, and chasing passers – by while scavenging for food at markets or seeking shelter from the heat at the entrances of convenience stores.

Many Thais feed street dogs, but incidents of animal cruelty are common.

“We’ve seen dogs that have been shot, poisoned, or even cut with knives. Most of them are street dogs, but sometimes the cruelty happens in homes too – like dogs kept locked in cages,” Harbison said.

Bangkok authorities have conducted round-ups and sterilisation efforts to reduce the stray dog population in the capital.

However, some areas, especially on islands, still have significant numbers of strays, leading to increased risks for people.

At Harbison’s centre, dogs find a home to rebuild their health and await adoption, return to the streets after a bit of recuperation, be sterilised – or find a final resting place for the very sick.

Celebrity followers

Harbison, who worked in tech and advertising in Ireland, possesses a unique talent for using social media to share each dog’s journey – from rescue to surgery, recovery, and sometimes through their final days.

This connection has brought recognition to his canine companions and allowed him to establish a charity from the ground up.

Initially starting with his own money, Harbison raises funds to cover the cost of surgeries for cancers, tumours or broken bones – treatments that many Thais find prohibitively expensive.

The stories of individual dogs like Whacker, Cindy Crawford, and recently, Chance, have become must-watch content for animal lovers everywhere. His charity, Happy Doggo, is registered in the United Kingdom, but has the bold ambition to “fix the global street dog problem”.

However, it was an emaciated golden retriever named Tina who most captured the public’s imagination. After being rescued from a life on a short chain, Tina lived out her happy final days at the centre.

She inspired Harbison to write the book Tina – the Dog Who Changed the World, which will be published next week. He also established “Tina’s Hospital” for street dogs on the island.

“Social media really helped. I try to share positive stories because I believe people are looking for hope and kindness in their feed,” he said. “This work can be heavy – it’s a sad subject – so I always try to add a bit of light, something inspiring.”

“Some well-known people follow our work – and honestly, I think it’s just because they really love dogs. It’s not like we reached out to them or anything. Liam Gallagher from Oasis adopted one of our dogs, and that video got so much attention online,” he said.

“Even people like Jennifer Aniston liked it – I’m not sure why it resonated so widely, but it did.”

Rescue dogs

With a population of 70,000, Samui has around 7,000 strays – one for every 10 humans.

But that unsustainable number has been dramatically reduced thanks to Harbison’s sterilisation campaign.

“Here in Samui, we’re actually on top of the problem,” he said. “We’ve managed to sterilise most of the dogs, and there’s a strong local network feeding and caring for them. But across the rest of Thailand, the issue is still huge.”

Part of the problem stems from breeding dogs for sale, leading to unwanted litters or disabled dogs being abandoned. Additionally, dog care can be expensive, especially for sick or injured animals.

Although Harbison has saved hundreds of dogs, he believes their impact on him has been even greater.

“I had come to Samui looking for sunshine and a healthy lifestyle, but I went the other way,” he said.

“I ended up in a hospital because I was an alcoholic. That was my rock bottom. After four days in hospital, I told myself, ‘If I survive this, I have to do something better with my life.’ And that’s when the dogs came in.”

Four years on, he attributes his clean lifestyle to the needs of caring for dogs, a new-found responsibility and purpose that meant he had to be up early, ready to feed his canine “family”.

“I didn’t go to rehab or follow any programme – it was just the dogs,” he said.

“Now, every morning I wake up here in Samui, and life just feels beautiful. I finally feel like life is worth living – and without alcohol.”