June Happy Tails
It’s been a quiet close to Q2, with several successful adoptions and the completion of our education program and student volunteer placements for the 2024–2025 school year. While our student volunteers are taking a well-earned summer break, the care we provide never slows down. Read on to see how you can get involved and support our work throughout the summer.
New Arrivals
Muffin
Muffin's story began with heartbreak. His mother was hit by a bike, leaving her injured and alone with her pup to protect.
Born with swimmer's syndrome, he has been undergoing dedicated physical therapy, and not slowed him down. He has shown us nothing but resilience and joy. This curious, playful little pup wants to be involved in absolutely everything, and his determination is matched only by his sweetness.
Join the Care Collective
The Care Collective is the community of monthly supporters whose ongoing contributions provide the stability needed to sustain rescue, rehabilitation, and shelter operations at Laws for Paws Vietnam.
More puppies = more first vaccines, tick and flea, dewormer, and blood test panels.
Monthly support allows us to plan ahead, maintain consistent standards of care, and provide the long term care our dogs require. Your monthly support directly determines the level of care we can provide.
Driving Change
Con Dao One Year Milestone
Last week, we completed our fourth visit to Con Dao Island as part of our Animal Welfare Project with Six Senses Con Dao.
This visit marked one year since we launched the initiative.
Over the past year, with the support of the project team, we have delivered vital veterinary care to animals across the island through:
• 108 health checks and basic treatments
• 25 sterilisation surgeries
Beyond treating individual animals, this work focuses on prevention - improving animal welfare today while addressing the root causes of overpopulation for the future.
What has been especially encouraging is seeing the local community embrace the initiative. By bringing stray animals to our pop-up clinics and supporting responsible animal care, community members are becoming active partners in creating lasting, positive change for Con Dao's animal population.
Projects like this are only possible through collaboration. A sincere thank you to our partners for making the Con Dao mission possible:
Six Senses Con Dao
Animal Doctors International
Boehringer Ingelheim
Ganador & Minino
Adoption Spotlights
Rojo
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Life on the streets near the local food vendors was never easy for Rojo, and it became even harder the day he was tragically hit by a car. For days he hobbled around in pain, his injury going unnoticed, until a kind man finally stepped in and rushed him to the clinic for emergency care. Rojo needed leg surgery to recover, but thanks to the team's care, he pulled through like a champion.
The man who saved him had to move overseas and could no longer care for him, but he knew one thing for certain: Rojo could never go back to the place where he had been hit. The clinic reached out to us, and we knew immediately we had to give him the second chance he deserved.
Rojo still carries a slight limp from his accident, but it has never slowed him down. Sweet, loyal, and endlessly people oriented, he approached every day at the shelter with excitement, especially when it was time for a walk.
Now called Deogi, he found his forever family in a wonderful French woman who splits her time between Ho Chi Minh City and the beach. Now Rojo gets the best of both worlds, living his best life between city days and beach days, exactly where he belongs.
Coco
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Coco's story began with an unexpected twist of fate. When her previous owner decided not to return to Vietnam after a family visit home, Coco was left in the care of a flatmate who was facing housing struggles of her own. With Tet approaching, a temporary stay in a boarding facility became the bridge that brought her safely to us, and she soon joined the pack at the shelter.
At the shelter, Coco's intelligence shone. She took to command training with our student volunteers with real enthusiasm, proving herself adaptable, sharp, and full of gentle spirit. It was clear she just needed the right family to bring that spirit fully to life.
Now known as Lulu, her adoption journey hasn't been without its bumps. In one memorable moment, she let herself out of the apartment, made her way into the elevator, and was found calmly sitting in the lobby waiting for her adopter to come home. Adjusting to a new life isn't always a straight line, and Lulu has worked through some separation anxiety along the way. Her family has met every challenge with patience and understanding, a reminder that not every dog's journey looks the same, and some simply need a little extra kindness to find their footing.
Lulu is proof that the right family doesn't give up. She is so loved, and so lucky to have landed exactly where she did.
Teddy
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Teddy, also known as Gau Beo (which means "chubby bear" in Vietnamese), is every bit as cuddly and charming as his name suggests. His start in life was far from ideal. He was found by a security guard and brought to the District 7 restaurant where the guard worked, left to spend his days and nights unsupervised near a busy road. The intention may have been companionship, but the reality was a tiny puppy facing the constant dangers of traffic and city life all on his own.
Thankfully, Veronica, one of our dedicated fellow rescuers, noticed him and stepped in. After speaking with the guard about the risks Teddy faced, she was given permission to take him to safety. From there, Teddy thrived in foster care and then at the shelter, getting closer every day to the forever home he deserved.
That home came in the form of a wonderful couple who weren't looking to have children of their own, which meant Teddy became their one and only. As an only child with no competition for attention, he is, unsurprisingly, a little bit spoiled. And he wouldn't have it any other way.
Get Involved
Join Our Seek Sophie Experience
Travelling this summer and looking for a different way to experience HCMC?
Visit our cage-free shelter, spend time with our rescue dogs, and directly fund our mission.
Join a guided session where you’ll meet the dogs, hear their stories, and get involved in their daily routine - from walking and grooming to simply hanging out with them.
It’s a hands-on, easygoing experience that gives you a real glimpse into rescue work in Vietnam, while making a direct impact just by showing up.
Open to travellers, locals, and anyone curious to see a different side of the city.
Join our Volunteers (For Residents)
Over the quiet period of the summer holidays, we are looking for volunteers to join our daily dog walks and spend time with our friendly cage-free pups. We're currently welcoming people aged 18+ living in HCMC to help out during our quieter season.
Walking sessions: Tuesday – Sunday · Closed Mondays
· Morning: 7:30am
· Afternoon: 3:30pm
You must have basic experience with dogs, reasonable level of fitness and can commit to attending regularly.
Event Highlights & What’s Coming Up?
June Recap
PetFair Vietnam
Thank you to @petfairvietnam for inviting us to be a Pet Welfare Partner at their recent event at SECC! A big couple of days for the team and Mr Donnie, introducing our mission and work in animal welfare.
Ruff Crowd
To everyone who came out and stuck it out through the Saigon rain with us - thank you. You showed up for our dogs and that is everything.
When the rain came down we moved into the bar and the laughs just kept coming. @wallyhipolit0, @jack.nugz, Harvey Walden and @vuminhtu102 absolutely delivered and our incredible host @matthewtran.lol kept the whole night together from start to finish.
July Events
Phu Hung Pet Walk
Come see us this Sunday at the Phu Hung Pet Walk!
Learn more about the work we do at Laws for Paws Vietnam, our volunteering program and our dogs 🐾
📍 P2 Park, Phu My Hung, District 7
🗓 Sunday, July 5, 2026
⏰ 06:00 – 11:00
🎟 Free Access