A SOUTHAMPTON resident has travelled thousands of kilometres to help dogs with horrific injuries or diseases in Thailand.

Johanna Kristoffersson from Chilworth Road, Southampton, has been working with the Soi Dog Foundation as a volunteer rescuing dogs from the streets of Thailand, or from the Asian dog meat trade.

She said: “In 2015 my partner and I lived in Thailand for a year and a half. Everyday I used to get on my scooter to drive around feeding 10-20 stray dogs in different locations around the village.

“We adopted a stray dog we called Mr Fox. He was suffering from severe tick fever, causing other several infections in his body.

“After a year he’d finally recovered and was ready to get on a flight with us to his new forever home in the UK.

“Soi dog Foundation gave us a lot of information and tips about how to get him ready for the flight. I’m so grateful for the work the foundation is doing and that’s why I decided to come back to Thailand to volunteer and to be a part of their amazing work.

“We volunteers take the dogs out for walks, to get them used to being walked on a leash, to socialise them and of course give them a lot of cuddles and love.

“I’ve been helping in a kennel housing dogs rescued from the dog meat trade.

“What I love the most about this experience is to see how the dogs become much more confident, both with other dogs and with people, and to see their daily progress and how they learn to trust you, especially the shy and insecure dogs.

“I will definitely be back again as soon as I can, hopefully later this year.”

The charity was started 15 years ago in Phuket and is now the largest charity in Southeast Asia working with stray animals

John Dalley, founder of the charity, said: “It’s wonderful having people like Johanna giving up their time to help us.”