A family have spent £700 to save a stray dog from the illegal meat trade in Thailand.

Sue and Andy Bassindale and daughter Heidi, 16, have adopted two-and-a-half year old Maddi, who was found abandoned on the streets.

The Meltham family fell in love with the cute Shih Tzu cross-breed on the internet – and will this week have her flown 5,000 miles to the UK.

According to the charity the Soi Dog Foundation, there are millions of stray dogs in Thailand.

Many of those rounded up are kept in overcrowded government pounds – described by the charity as “death camps” – while thousands more are snatched for the illegal meat trade and shipped to Vietnam.

Sue said: “The problem with stray dogs is huge in Thailand and we wanted to do our bit to help.

“While it may not make a big
difference overall it will make a big difference to that one dog.”

It was back in January that the animal-loving family learned about the Soi Dog Foundation on Facebook and were shocked at the scale of the problem.

The charity puts up pictures of dogs and cats for adoption and the family spotted a “little scruff” called Madonna.

The family signed up to adopt Maddi – they changed her name – and have paid the £700 costs which includes flights and transport, blood tests, health checks, micro-chipping and vaccinations.

“People may think it’s a lot of money but I don’t think so,” said Sue.

“Some have asked why we are adopting a dog from Thailand and not at home in the UK and my response is we could have adopted a dog from the UK and so could they. We chose Maddi.”

Maddi, who has completed three months in quarantine in Thailand, will have an 11-hour flight to Amsterdam, arriving tonight.

After an overnight stay she will be transported by ferry from the Hook of Holland to Harwich where her new family will collect her.

They will then return to Meltham where Maddi will meet the family’s other dogs Daisy, a St Bernard, and labrador-poodle cross Poppy.

Sue said she hoped to take Maddi to a Soi Dogs Foundation fun day in Wakefield on Sunday. “If she’s tired, we’ll carry her,” said Sue.

Maddi had been found in a temple “all skin and bone” but had spent 12 months being cared for and restored to full health by the foundation.

“We are looking forward to bringing her home,” said Sue. “We’re told she’s a feisty little thing.”

The family have been so touched by the plight of the dogs they plan a trip to Phuket in January to work as volunteers for the foundation.

“We will be working in the runs with the dogs, helping to socialise them which is very important,” said Sue.

“The dogs are adopted all round the world.”

To find out more about the foundation go to www.soidog.org