Feeding a stray dog helped this man overcome addiction – his kind gesture is now saving 1200 lives daily

A man once struggling with alcoholism is now saving 1,200 lives every day– a true example of turning pain into power. Niall Harbison was living in Thailand when he found himself in a hospital bed because of his reckless lifestyle that almost cost him his life. He hit rock bottom. It was not the end but the beginning of a new life that gave Harbison the purpose and healing he was longing for. As he recovered, the man decided to feed a malnourished dog in the streets of Koh Samui one day. Then began his journey of redemption. 

In an interview with USA Today, Harbison revealed that he initially started feeding one or two dogs on a “very small scale.” Before he knew it, the number had increased to a scale of 80 to 100 street dogs single-handedly being fed by him. “And we now actually feed 1,200 every single day with fresh food, but we also rescue dogs,” Harbison said. Amidst the hundreds of rescue dogs, one special soul struck a chord with him. A street pup named Tina fueled his passion project into a global initiative for helping abandoned dogs get a second chance at life. 

Particularly, Tina’s heartbreaking backstory reminded Harbison of someone– himself. She had endured years of abuse, chained to a pole in the scorching heat, malnourished and discarded on the streets after breeding. “One day, I came across a beautiful dog, Tina. She was on a chain. She wasn't beautiful when I first saw her. She was chained up. She'd been used for breeding, terribly malnourished, and she was close to death. So she kind of reminded me of myself, and I rescued her,” explained the man. Their friendship bloomed amidst Tina’s treatment, even though they only got to spend six months together until she passed away. Her kidneys were irreparably damaged and were untreatable. Harbison offered glimpses of their final days together in an Instagram post (@niall.harbison).

Regardless of their short time together, Tina inspired Harbison to transform his rescue mission into something more impactful. His dog sanctuary, which once stemmed from the streets of Thailand, is now part of a worldwide effort to feed, treat, and rehouse stray dogs. “She inspired me to go on and do wonderful work in her name,” he added. Harbison is now building Tina’s Hospital to protect Thailand’s vulnerable street dogs in the name of the enduring soul that breathed new life into Harbison. “We're building a hospital, we sterilize, which is neutering or spaying, 7,000 dogs every single month. And we obviously rehabilitate more dogs. So a lot of that has been done in Tina's name.” 

On X, Harbison shares heartwarming stories of his rescue dogs under the username @NiallHarbison with 543,000 followers. Once a victim of alcohol abuse, Harbison has now become the messiah of hundreds of street dogs who deserve a better present than their past. More importantly, he is now providing what he needed most during unfortunate times: some compassion and loads of kindness.