John Dalley, co-founder and president of Soi Dog Foundation International, has been awarded the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his services to animal welfare in Southeast Asia.
He was named alongside a number of celebrities, medical staff, key workers and volunteers in Queen Elizabeth II’s Birthday Honours List on Saturday.
Mr Dalley, who hails from Leeds in northern England, was nominated for the award for his services for animals for the past 17 years. He co-founded Soi Dog Foundation International in Phuket in 2003.
The foundation treats, vaccinates and sterilises animals to control their numbers. By December, the foundation is expected to have sterilised and vaccinated half a million animals across the country since its founding, with nearly 250,000 of those carried out in the past two years alone.
Commenting on the award, Mr Dalley said he saw this not as a personal award, but recognition of the work done by the foundation, its supporters and volunteers. He said he would like to dedicate the award to Gill, his late wife and co-founder of the foundation, who herself received numerous awards during her lifetime, including being the first non-Asian by birth to be named Asian of the Year in the Channel News Asia annual awards.
The foundation has also worked with Cambodia and Vietnam to push for a permanent end to the trade in dog and cat meat along with lobbying for stronger laws to protect animal welfare, Mr Dalley said.
