Support for heartfelt projects

This is the first blog post on Gofurnit, and it deals with a topic that deeply moved me during our last vacation. It is about the rescue, help, and care of dogs and cats on Koh Mak, a small island in Thailand, as well as the support of the local volunteers. But before I dive into the events of the last few days, I need to go a bit further back in time. Because nearly seven years ago, in the winter of 2012, I made the decision to want to use my time more meaningfully than in 9 to 5 jobs that offer no value to society or the environment. At that time, I was right in the middle of my studies and completing a mandatory internship for a PR agency. A few years later, I finally put my decision into action with Gofurnit, initially with the plan to contribute a portion of the sales of each light to the reforestation of rainforests. Even though this is currently an incredibly important contribution to combating climate change, I had two, let's say, 'concerns' about this endeavor.

The first became clear quite quickly, as I only had to look around online briefly and found dozens to hundreds of initiatives, from small startups to large companies, dedicated to this very purpose. I definitely did not want to jump on any trend, as I felt that a lot of 'greenwashing' was also being practiced here. The second reason that made me hesitate was the connection to the topic. One might wonder what got into me now? Wood veneer lights and the reforestation of forests are quite closely related. However, in this case, I am more concerned with a personal connection and less with the content between product and philanthropy. We are all part of this planet and should contribute to preserving our environment. In this regard, we pay attention to sustainability when purchasing materials for our lights, including the ecological FSC certification of the veneers and short supply chains with German suppliers. But there are also initiatives that urgently need monetary help just as much. And one of these voluntary social initiatives I happened to get to know – and love – in the last few days.

At the end of our trip in December 2019 from Chiang Mai, through Koh Chang to Koh Mak, we met some wonderful people on this still very unspoiled island. First, Silke, who fulfilled a small dream with a very beautiful beach restaurant 'By the Sea' at the beginning of the year. By the way, if you ever find yourself on Koh Mak, be sure to stop by – it’s really worth it. While we got to know Silke on our first evening in Koh Mak, we also started talking about her bar, the island, and life around it. We immediately noticed the many dogs and cats that seemed to live freely and partly wild on the island. There were also dogs at the beach bar, but they 'belonged' to her or other staff members. I write this deliberately in quotation marks because these animals don't really belong to anyone, but there are some that have gotten used to living with people or were born and raised directly with them. Thus, there is often someone who starts to feel responsible for the animals among many dogs and cats. This often leads to a deep bond, as was the case with Silke and her dogs. At the beginning of the year, five sweet puppies were born, who then immediately got 'a owner'. Mango, the bar manager, lovingly takes care of Tweila, an incredibly playful and somewhat shy lady.

The breed of the dog is not really known to me, and I believe also to the residents of the island. But there are a few pictures in the gallery. That evening, Silke told us about the Koh Mak Animal Clinic, which is run by an American expat named Kevin and his wife. They were able to rescue one of their three dogs and take care of the animals all over the island – and all of this completely free of charge. Unfortunately, the dogs were poisoned, which is incredibly terrible, and for two, help unfortunately came too late... This left me so stunned that the next day we drove by on the scooter and spontaneously met Kevin there. Although he wasn't planning for our visit, he still showed us the entire clinic unasked, told us about the veterinarians who live there on a completely voluntary basis without pay for periods ranging from 4 weeks to 6 months and take care of the animals.


These are often young people who have just completed their studies in veterinary medicine and are doing something good while traveling. The entire clinic is based on donations. These are often given by visitors, that is, tourists, who greatly appreciate the effort, or by the resort owners based on the island, often after one of their animals needed the veterinarians' help. This happens quite often, as the animals require a whole range of treatments.

On Koh Mak, an island with just 12 km in circumference, there are an estimated nearly 1,000 dogs and many cats living. According to Kevin and his team, about 300 of the 1,000 dogs have been sterilized. This remains one of the most important tasks of the Animal Clinic, as the suffering of the animals originates from the ever-increasing number of them. Many of the local Thais love the dogs and cats, but only as long as they don't ruin their businesses. And this is where it really pinches. Due to the high number and the unstoppable spread of the animals without sterilization measures, there are repeated cases of animal cruelty. The local operators of beach bars, restaurants, or hotels often feel they have no other choice but to lay out poisoned bait, shoot the dogs, or pour hot fat over them – all in the hope that they will stay away and not ruin their business with tourists. They fear that the many wild dogs will keep tourists away from their bar, resort, or whatever it may be.

Therefore, as the operator of the Koh Mak Animal Clinic states, education and sterilization are so important. However, the former has proven to be very complicated in recent years, as many Thais do not want to neuter their dogs (that is, the semi-wild ones that are tolerated and fed in and around resorts) for 'cultural' reasons. Thus, this is only happening gradually, and the veterinarians are fighting against a developing vicious cycle. Further spread leads to more animal cruelty. The veterinarians can only interrupt this cycle through donations, by investing the funds in the preventive sterilization of dogs and cats, in educating the local population, and in vaccines and medications for injured animals. The flights that the veterinarians need to get to the island are always paid for by themselves. The food on the island is also not directly funded by donations. Some resorts and restaurants have come together and take turns offering free meals for the veterinarians and the clinic owners on one day each week.

There is an urgent need for more undefinedShelterundefined so that the animals can stay there longer when they need treatment. There is an urgent need for more shelters so that animals can stay there longer when they require treatment. This delays diagnostics by several days. One or two bungalows with simple furnishings are also planned; this way, the veterinarians have an incentive to stay there even during the rainy season when they do not have to pay for their accommodation. Additionally, one or two simply equipped bungalows are planned; this will give veterinarians an incentive to stay there even during the rainy season if they don't have to pay for their accommodation themselves. Because it is incredibly difficult for Kevin and the team to have to train new doctors every few weeks. They do not know the island, the resorts, and the roads, and they have to build the trust of the Thais anew each time.

As I listened to Kevin while he told us all this and I could see with my own eyes how much heart and soul he, his wife, and the veterinarians invest in this clinic, and I saw the partially severely injured dogs that were being cared for there – at that moment, I couldn't help but offer Kevin my help. It became immediately clear to me that while trees are important, this project now has a high priority in my life.

From the proceeds of the last few months, we have now supported the Animal Clinic and enabled 50 vaccinations.  From now on, with every light you buy, you support the Animal Clinic on Koh Mak, which is urgently in need of donations. We are initially donating 5% of our profits to Kevin and his team. You are doing something good to keep the balance between animals and humans on the island intact and to put an end to the suffering of the dogs and cats. In the medium term, we will choose more charitable projects that are close to our hearts, and the support for these projects will vary according to urgency.