04/10/2026
Michael J. Baines once made his living preparing food for people. Today, the former chef helps lead a rescue operation in Thailand that cares for more than 800 dogs at its sanctuary while feeding another 400-plus street dogs every day.
The transformation began with one sick stray. After moving to Thailand and opening a restaurant, Michael encountered a dog who kept appearing near the back of the business. He began feeding her, then helping with treatment, and that encounter grew into a much larger commitment to dogs living on the streets.
Today, Michael is president and co-founder of The Man That Rescues Dogs Foundation in Chonburi. Its sanctuary provides food, veterinary treatment, rehabilitation and long-term care for more than 800 dogs. Beyond its gates, the team follows daily feeding routes that reach more than 400 street dogs.
Some of the sanctuary's most recognizable residents belong to a group Michael calls the Wheelchair Mafia. Dozens of paralyzed dogs use specially fitted mobility carts that allow them to run and explore despite losing the use of their back legs.
Their routine is remarkably normal. The wheelchair dogs head outside twice each day, with scheduled runs in the morning and afternoon. Once their wheels are attached, they race along the sanctuary grounds together like any other group of excited dogs.
The scale of the operation is enormous. Recent figures put the cost of running the sanctuary at roughly $1,650 every day, covering necessities such as food, medical treatment, mobility equipment and the people required to care for hundreds of animals.
What began with one hungry dog behind a restaurant has become a mission reaching more than a thousand dogs each day.
For the dogs racing around on wheels, that mission means something even more immediate. Their bodies may work differently now, but they still get to chase one another, explore outside and live like dogs.
And sometimes a second chance looks exactly like that.
