Michael J. Baines
Michael J. Baines is the President and Co-Founder of The Man That Rescues Dogs. He is a Swedish entrepreneur who moved to Thailand and opened his restaurant in Bangsaen, Chonburi, Thailand, in 2002. From the very beginning, every day he would find many stray dogs on the streets, most of them in a very poor conditions. He started helping them as much as he could, driving around the city after work to feed and treat them and taking injured dogs to the local veterinary clinic. In a very short time he started rescue/ rehabilitation and rehoming on his free time away from work.
Since then he has built The Sanctuary up to official Foundation status and is now supported by the local government, with particular help and partnership with Narongchai Khunpluem, the Mayor of Saensuk.
TMTRD Non-profit Organization
The Man That Rescues Dogs Foundation now has its sights set on expanding The Sanctuary to take in more rescues and modernizing its "free for all" Clinic to treat and heal more dogs. There will also be extra effort put into Education through visits to schools and public spaces as well as allowing graduate vets to join our team in The Clinic as interns for short or long periods.
TMTRD Timeline
The Beginning
Michael started his mission to help dogs on the streets and rescue as many as he could with limited funds and space.
Non Profit Status
TMTRD officially became a Non profit organization in Sweden with the help of Mr. Hans Tjernström, Michael’s good friend, and partner.
First Documentary
Miss Anna Tjernström, filmmaker and member of the TMTRD board in Sweden, released the first documentary about Michael's work. We are hoping that she will be available to make a sequel soon.
Foster Home For Dogs
Michael established his first Foster Home for dogs by renting a house and hiring staff to look after the dogs.
MOU Signed
Michael signed MOU with Saensuk municipality to manage and expand the local shelter for 80 existing dogs at the time.
Foster Home Relocation
The foster home had to be moved to the main shelter because of numerous complaints from the neighbors.
320 Dog In Care
TMTRD has 320 dogs under its care. This consists of 180 dogs in the shelter, 60 dogs in the foster home and 100 dogs on the streets.
Free Clinic
TMTRD has 570 dogs under its care. TMTRD opened its own clinic with two veterinarians to provide health care for the dogs we have and also a free of charge care for other pets.
Meet the team
Every day these hard working men and women are at The Sanctuary at 5.30am and work tirelessly until 5:00pm. At TMTRD working hard brings the greatest reward of happiness.
Meet the team
Every day these hard working men and women are at The Sanctuary at 5.30am and work tirelessly until 5:00pm. At TMTRD working hard brings the greatest reward of happiness.
The Future of TMTRD
TMTRD aims to help as many stray dogs in our community as we can, to reduce the unwanted dog population through spaying and neutering. We currently spay and neuter in Bangsaen and Bang Pra but we are hoping to one day cover all of the Chonburi province. Our mission is to increase our coverage area by expanding our free of charge clinic. With some additional equipment and a larger area for our three veterinarians to work, we will be able to sterilize and provide better medical care to more dogs in our community.
With your help, we can do better.
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How you can help
DONATE
Your donation, no matter the amount, goes directly towards bringing peace to the dogs in our care. If you have a specific item you would like to donate towards – food or medicine for example, please specify this in the notes with your transaction or contact us directly.
FOSTER
As a Foster parent you get to look after a dog(s) for a timeframe that suits you, knowing that your time, love and care go a long way towards helping the dog and the shelter. The dog gets to learn how to be a domestic dog, and readies them for eventual adoption.
ADOPT
Adopting a rescue dog is one of the most rewarding experiences for both the dog and you - the future doggy parent. We will work with you to make sure you find the best dog that suits your lifestyle and family needs.