It’s the Little Things That Make Me Smile…Like Purple Dogs สุนัขสีม่วง

It’s the Little Things That Make Me Smile…Like Purple Dogs สุนัขสีม่วง

That’s right, purple dogs. Are they purple because the owner is feeling festive? No. In Thailand there are street dogs everywhere. They are referred to as soi dogs because the alley-like streets in Thailand are called sois. Who takes care of these dogs? Well, many Thai people will feed these dogs on a regular basis, but otherwise they’re on the street.

Purple soi dog in action on the soi near my house

So, why are they purple? The color is from a medication that people put on the dogs for mange. Since there are so many soi dogs, there are also a lot of mangy dogs. Mange is a skin disease caused in some mammals (not humans) by mites. It’s very itchy and makes them lose fur.

This poor little guy I met in Burma was so cute and friendly, but he already had some mange on his head. I don’t know if they use the purple medicine there.

Sometimes if people don’t want dogs, they take them to the local temple to be looked after there. I want to adopt one from a temple or a dog shelter.

Here a kind woman is applying the purple mange medicine to some dogs at Wat Chang Man.

Dogs in clothes at Wat Chang Man – some with purple on them

Slightly purple dog in clothes

I spotted this guy on my local soi while riding my bicycle

He walked over toward me, but neither one of us was sure what to make of each other. He obviously had an owner based on the amount of purple on him.

In the end he seemed friendly enough, though I wasn’t 100% sure. He very interested in why I was taking pictures of him.

The only reason I haven’t adopted a dog yet is because I’m at work all day and the dog would be left alone. Now having a housemate who likes dogs with a different schedule from mine, there may be a dog in the not so far away future. Maybe soon I can have my very own purple dog! Two of my favorite things in one: dogs and the color purple.