Thai Pets – Izzy & Lucas – Lex (D), Lindsay (D)

We had become a pet family with two dogs and two cats while living in Chiang Mai, Thailand. In the beginning we had Lucas & Lindsay, a pair of Burman cat littermates that we brought to Thailand from Sydney. We then obtained Lex, a very wonderful English Cream Golden Retriever, from a breeder in Korat. Lastly, Izzy, a Pomeranian, joined our family from a breeder in Chiang Rai. Unfortunately our cat, Lindsay, passed away in Chiang Mia in 2018. It was Lex, Izzy & Lucas, along with Lindsay (cremated remains) that moved with us to our new place in That Phanom, Thailand when we relocated from Chiang Mai in early 2024. Check out more on each pets story below.

LEX (Franz Joseph Hayden) – Registered English Cream Golden Retriever – October 2013 to July 2025 – Rest in Peace

We are devastated with the loss of our beloved LEX on 21 July 2025. Here is his story.

After many years of working and living in Sydney city apartments, & not being able to have a dog, it was always a dream to eventually have one around the house. I had grown up with dogs. I even enjoyed some of my career training and working with dogs.  Our new dog wasn’t just any dog; it needed to be extremely friendly, get along well with other animals, and be a loyal member of the family.

An English cream golden retriever was what I had in mind as their temperament matched perfectly with what I was after.  I was lucky to find a breeder of English Cream Golden Retrievers in Korat, Thailand, at Kaimook Kennel.  Unfortunately, the kennel closed and the American breeder returned to the USA.

After an initial visit to the kennel, we found Lex, a 10-month-old male pup who was still around from an earlier litter.  He was friendly but a bit shy and reserved – ideal for a retired household. A return trip from Chiang Mai to Korat was arranged to pick up our ‘new boy’.  It was planned for us to arrive one day, visit the kennel, get vet checks the next day, and then leave for home on the 3rd day.  The driving distance from Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat) to Chiang Mai was a 1426 km return cross-country adventure.  

It was a long journey home with many stops along the way for Lex to relieve himself and for refreshments. When we got home, it was a new experience for Lex, who had only known farm living outdoors. Now a house, yard, cats and the new smells were all very daunting for him.  But with gentle patience and encouragement, he soon took over the house and became our wonderful house dog – really a dog that just wants to be with me or Ace – all the time. He even got along with our cats and soon became comfortable and friendly with them. He doesn’t bother or chase them.  He is friends with everyone.

As time went by Lex had grown into a very handsome animal – he was 4 years old in October 2017 – and the most delightful companion one could ask for – check out pictures of – Mr. LEX:

In May 2018, Lex was 4.5 years old and had taken to his life as a house dog and loved the air conditioning on hot days. He lost one of his friends, our Burman cat, LINDSAY – she passed away this year from kidney failure. Lindsay was 13 years old. Lex enjoyed trips in the truck and walks along a country lane where he runs and enjoys the smells twice a day. He was well cared for – maybe spoilt just a little.  He follows me everywhere and was anxious if he was not close to me.  We used to take him swimming on occasion at a dog pool in Chiang Mai- he loves chasing the ball and learned to dive underwater to fetch the ball. It’s a dog’s good life.

He continued to enjoy life in Chiang Mai, and in March 2024, Lex moved along with Izzy and Lucas to our new rural country environment in That Phanom, Thailand. He enjoyed his new life in the country and was able to roam more freely. He made friends with some neighborhood dogs as well & enjoyed their company.

Although he enjoyed country walks, he was getting noticeably older & had given up long walks in early 2025. He was also noticeably more lethargic, opting for long sleeps on the balcony or in the air conditioned computer room.

There was a need for us to go to Bangkok that required boarding Lex & Izzy at a Vet Hospital in Nakhon Phanom in late July 2025 for a few days. The dogs had been there before & were well cared for. It was on the evening of Monday, 21 July 25, while at a Major Ciniplex Imax screening of Superman, that we received a call from the Vet Hospital in Nakhon Phanom advising that Lex had passed away after dinner, in his sleep. That ended the movie outing. It appears that he ate his food as usual, went out for his evening exercise and went to sleep on his bed. When the staff checked on him later in the evening – he never woke up – and didn’t appear to suffer in death.

It was devastating – we were gutted and very sad. Lex had been such a close companion in our retirement, being around us all the time. We cut our Bangkok trip short & picked Lex up from the Vet Hospital on Wednesday, 23 July, and buried him in a plot on our property, with his friend Lindsay (previously cremated in Chiang Mai).

Lex was buried, wrapped in the blanket he used to lay on in the truck. He was placed on his long time ‘sleep bed’ in the grave, and some favorite toys were laid with him. The next day, on Thursday, 24 July, Monks from our local temple came to the house and performed some Buddhist death rituals over our pets’ grave. It was most fitting for these lovely creatures to say farewell with such a simple, but nice service. They are at rest and peace now. Enjoy doggy heaven – Lex & Lindsay.

Izzy (F) – Pomeranian – 28/02/2019 – ??

Izzy is a very energetic and happy little Pomeranian that was born in Chiang Rai. She joined our family when she was only little, around 4 months old. She has a lovely temperament, being friendly with people and with our cat. They all got along just fine & she liked her big friend Lex, often sleeping together. She loved to lick and clean around his eyes & mouth. They were great friends. Izzy is a cutey – takes a nice picture with her shorter hair look, for the Thai weather. She is a people dog and loves to sit up on my lap or next to me on the chair. Here are some pictures of Izzy.

Lucas (m) & Lindsay (f) – Seal Point Birmans – Litter Pair – 28 Aug 2006 – (Lindsay 2018) – Lucas – ?

We adopted this pair of lovely cats while living in an apartment in Sydney. They were friendly pets sharing our joy of having them around. Lindsay seemed to favor me, and Lucas favored Ace. They moved with us to Thailand in March 2014 when they were 9 years old. They survived the long flight journey to their new home in Chiang Mai & warmer Thai environment. After all Burman cats originated in Burma (now Myanmar) – a close neighboring country.

Unfortunately, Lindsay (lighter faced) passed away due to kidney failure in 2018, at 12 years old. She was at home and passed with us at her side. She was cremated and came with us to our new home in That Phanom. She has been laid to rest alongside her friend Lex, at a burial site on our property.

Lucas (dark face) will be 20 years old in August 2025. He is aged and frail, but still mobile, noisy & eats well. His days are mostly spent sleeping and wonder about inside the house. One does wonder how long he will be with us – he currently prefers his own company with occasional pet or brush.

LEX & LINDSAY – Travel well together friends – enjoy the afterlife with endless days of fun, food and frolic.

Neighborhood K9 Friends – In Thailand there are no shortage of dogs roaming the streets. Many are pets but some are street dogs. Most our neighbors have dogs but they roam around at will. During our house build a dog from a farm behind our property attached himself (Panda) to the workers camp. When the house was done and workers left, Panda decided to stay. He is not our dog, but we now feed him daily and he comes and goes regularly. He has a friend, we call Pansy, who does belong to another neighbor, but roams about and spends time at our place from time to time. She can jump the fence so comes and goes at will – Panda has to wait for the gate to open. Pansy’s owner has recently left and not taken the dog with her – so she is an orphan that we will likely care for. We had her desexed earlier this year when the owner was gone, so she did not have endless litters of pups.