How this began. For years I wanted to volunteer at an elephant sanctuary. Talking about it one evening with a friend, I decided to stop talking about it and do it. Within four months we were in Thailand after 30 hours of travel. Two days later we’d settled in at the Wildlife Friends Foundation of Thailand (WFFT) Elephant Refuge.

Every morning I’d see Boon Mee, a 57 year old elephant whose name means Good Spirit or Virtue, in her enclosure. Evenings, I’d be in the dining area nearby and watch as she’d disappear into the darkness.

Boon Mee was one of the 18 rescued elephants at the Refuge (there are more now). I didn’t know what to expect when I signed up to volunteer, other than heat and humidity. Nor could I suspect that the essential lessons for me would be about patience and service.

And I certainly didn’t expect to come home with a puppy. Thai Thai was one of a litter dumped at the Sanctuary.
This is his story and then some.