Darren Budini and Nicole Marchment are newly-wed Australian citizens who chose Thailand as their honeymoon destination. They planned to travel to the country’s many islands and absorb the culture.
When they got to the island of Koh Chang, they met Duen, a local woman that spends her time feeding homeless creatures during her free time.
The couple, both animal lovers, decided to go with Duen during her feeding trips. They knew that the country had a serious homeless dog problem, and they wanted to help out. They bought some dog food and spent a couple of hours with the strays.
This was when they met a mangy and injured black pup that they later named Ozzie.
Canceled honeymoon
Duen told them that Ozzie was hit by a scooter a week earlier, and they didn’t have the resources to get him treated. The couple felt sorry for the hurt stray and decided to help him get treatment. They took the small pooch back to their hotel, where they cleaned him up and fed him.
The next day, they started looking for a vet. Sadly though, the island had only one animal clinic. It was tiny and lacked the necessary equipment to diagnose the dog’s health problems properly. The closest clinic that has the essential medical instruments was six hours away in Pattaya. And it was out of their itinerary.
The couple made the crucial decision to cancel their itinerary and focus on Ozzie’s treatment.
Quarantine
Once they were in Pattaya, the Australian couple found a surgeon who immediately operated on Ozzie. The vet also treated the stray’s other health conditions. Darren and Nicole talked things over, and they came to the same conclusion. It would be difficult to find a permanent home for Ozzie as he has special needs.
They decided to adopt him.
As Australia has stringent animal importation laws, they had to find a way to get him out of Thailand and find another country where he could quarantine. They met a kind American who helped them find a family in the US who was willing to foster Ozzie.
After six months in Wisconsin, Ozzie was cleared, and he flew to Australia, where he joined the golden-hearted couple who saved his life.