Kawiporn Vinijthaopatom, the owner of an animal shelter in Saraburi is featured on Hershey’s chocolate bar wrapper as she was recognized by the leading chocolate manufacturer for her dedication to take care of thousands of stray dogs. The 73-year-old woman was contacted to share her story and participate in the campaign to honor inspirational women on the International Women’s Day in March.
Kawiporn, also known as Aunt Tim, the founder of the CHSAThai Stray Animal Shelter said she was happy to be part of the campaign as it would draw attention from people to help stray dogs.
In 2003, she started keeping as many as 70 stray dogs at home in Nonthaburi and feeding hundreds of stray dogs roaming the street before she moved to Saraburi province where she bought 12 acres of land to be the dog shelter, which currently takes care of more than 2,000 stray dogs and cats.
She earned money from her cement truck business and later had to sell her trucks, a house and a plot of land to cover the cost of almost one million baht a month to operate the shelter and pay the debt.
Her story will be shared on the chocolate brand’s website on the International Women’s Day. In Asia, six women from the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore each are honored and featured on the wrapper of its chocolate bar. (TNA)
