ABOUT US
Rob’s Dogs is a grassroots animal welfare project dedicated to improving the lives of street dogs and cats through spay and neuter programs. Working alongside veterinarians, volunteers, and local communities, we focus on reducing suffering and humanely controlling stray populations across Thailand
Our Mission
To fund, support and deliver regular spay and neuter programs for street dogs and cats, helping reduce stray populations in a humane, sustainable way. By preventing unwanted births we address the root cause of overpopulation and reduce the suffering of animals living on the streets and in low-income communities. Through partnerships with veterinarians, volunteers and local communities and an education program, Rob’s Dogs works to improve animal welfare and create lasting, positive change.
Our Vision
We envision a compassionate world where all animals are treated with the respect, care and kindness they deserve, and where an active humane population control program ensures no dog or cat suffers from neglect, abandonment or avoidable harm.
Our Story
Rob’s Dogs was built on compassion, experience, and a commitment to creating lasting change.
In 2013, while travelling to Bali during a period of personal transition, Rebecca connected with a local dog rescue and began volunteering. What started as a short-term experience quickly became something much deeper. During her time there, she saw firsthand that rescue alone could not solve the problem. Despite constant effort, puppies continued to suffer, injured, starving, or culled, because the root cause, overpopulation, was not being addressed.
It became clear that sterilisation was the only sustainable solution. However, implementing large-scale spay/neuter programs in Bali proved extremely challenging due to local barriers, making long-term impact difficult.
After several years, Rebecca moved to Koh Samui, where she connected with local rescuers including Dara. While the dedication of the community was clear, the same pattern remained; rescue and rehoming efforts were stretched thin, and sterilisation was often under-resourced.
Determined to focus on prevention rather than reaction, Rebecca made the decision to concentrate solely on sterilisation. Starting out self-funded, only a small number of animals could be sterilised each month. Over time, through persistence, community support, and strong partnerships with local veterinarians and welfare groups, the program steadily expanded.
In 2018, the Rob’s Dogs Foundation was formally established. 
Naming the foundation after her late husband, Rob, a devoted dog lover was a deeply personal decision. Years after his passing, the grief was still very present, and creating the foundation became a way to channel that into something meaningful. It allowed Rebecca to honour Rob’s memory in a positive, lasting way, transforming that grief into daily action and impact.
Today, what began as a small, self-funded effort has grown into a high-volume sterilisation program, helping thousands of animals each year and contributing to the long-term stabilisation of stray populations.
Our Not-for-Profit Status
Rob’s Dogs Foundation Limited is a registered not-for-profit organization in both Australia and Thailand*
• In Australia we hold Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status, meaning donations are tax-deductible
• In Thailand we are registered and work closely with local partners and communities to implement effective sterilization programs (at present animal charities cannot hold tax deductible status in Thailand)
*Rob’s Dogs Foundation: DGR Registered Australian Charity ABN: 48 630 436 378
*Registered Thai Charity: Registration no. 1/2566 (5 October 2022)
Challenges We Face
Running high-volume sterilization programs in Southeast Asia comes with unique and complex challenges. These vary depending on the season, location and community we’re working with. Some of our most common obstacles include:
• Access to qualified veterinarians and staff: Finding skilled and committed vets, support staff and volunteers can be difficult – especially in remote areas
• Availability of supplies: Medications, anaesthesia and surgical equipment aren’t always easy to source or transport – we are delighted to partner with fellow charity Medical Pantry to help with this
• Working locations: We need safe, sterile, and accessible spaces for our mobile clinics, which aren’t always available in rural communities
• Community support: Cultural beliefs and misinformation can sometimes hinder participation in sterilization programs – our education program aims to alleviate this
• Funding: As a fully donation-driven organization, financial support is a constant concern. Every clinic we run depends on having enough funding to cover the costs of transport, medical supplies and vet fees.
Despite these challenges we adapt, plan creatively and rely on our growing network of partners, volunteers and supporters to keep moving forward.
Looking Ahead
At Rob’s Dogs, we remain committed to expanding our impact and driving meaningful change through sterilization. Here’s a glimpse into what the future holds:
Our Vision for the Future
In an ideal world, our services wouldn’t be needed … Until then, we aim to:
• Transition the islands of Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, and Koh Tao from high-volume sterilization zones to maintenance-only programs
• Expand our reach into other parts of Southern Thailand where spay/neuter services are scarce or non-existent
• Expand our work to educate local communities about the long-term benefits of sterilization and humane animal care
A Milestone In Progress: Koh Phaluai
We are especially proud of our ongoing project on Koh Phaluai, where we have:
• Sterilized 100% of female dogs
• Reached over 90% of all cats
We’re now preparing one final mission to trap and sterilize the remaining wild cats on the island. With around 30–50 cats left and 30 traps ready, we’re excited to be close to achieving complete sterilization coverage – a major milestone in our mission