Somewhere in Koh Samui, Irishman Neil Harbisson is making a huge difference in the lives of stray dogs. What started as a simple desire to help some strays by fostering them back to health and finding them loving homes has turned into a mission that spans continents. Not only has Harbisson found loving homes for dogs all over the world, but one of his rescue dogs has ended up in the home of Liam Gallagher, a member of the British band Oasis.
Street dog named Buttons
Neil, who founded the Happy Dojo shelter on Koh Samui, said the pup — who he named Buttons — would invite himself to the shelter day after day. Eventually, he stayed at the shelter, spending about three months at Happy Dojo before being put up for adoption.
Then came the big shock for Neil: among the names on Button’s adoption application was Liam Gallagher. At first, Neil thought it was a joke, but after a lot of checks, it turned out that the potential adopter was indeed Liam himself. One of the checks was a video call with Liam and his wife, which is standard protocol with all applicants to check if their home is suitable for Button.
One thing led to another, and soon Buttons became… Join the Gallagher family in the UKThat was in 2023, and Buttons has since settled in nicely with Liam and his family.
As if that wasn't enough, Liam Gallagher dedicated his song 'Half The World Away' to Buttons during his tour this year, and even helped Happy Doggo raise enough money (£25,000) to build a hospital for rescued puppies.
Now that Oasis have officially announced that they're back together, some are jokingly speculating that Liam's new puppy has something to do with it. Not bad for a little puppy from the woods, huh?
Neil and Happy Dojo
Happy Doggo started in early 2021 with a simple mission: to feed hungry stray dogs on Sunday mornings. According to their website, founder Neil was recovering from a near-fatal drug experience and began running around Koh Samui to get back on track. During his runs, he came across some malnourished dogs and began bringing them food. This small act of kindness quickly turned into something much bigger after he started sharing videos online.
As his online presence grew — he had more than 300,000 followers on X as of late August — his global audience donated the money needed to secure a plot of land to build not only a shelter, but also a hospital for stray dogs.
Similar to how little Buttons ended up with Liam Gallagher, many of the dogs from the sanctuary end up in good homes across half the globe – mostly in the UK, Europe and the US. For example, Mr. FoxOne of their first rescues, he ended up in Montana, and a few Rodney I found a home in Wales.
Some dramatic rescues
Not only does Neil spend his time caring for the dogs at Happy Doggo, he also updates his followers on various rescues. They typically take in dogs that have been severely neglected or abused in order to rehabilitate them and eventually find them good homes. Some of the more dramatic rescues include:
Billy: He was found on the streets with facial injuries. He suffered from brain swelling, PTSD and severely impaired vision. After two trips to the animal hospital, Billy made a full recovery and is now a happy puppy!
Striker: He was found with a deep gash on his head. He had been hit with an axe and was just millimetres from death. Thankfully, he made a full recovery and has since been adopted by a family in Glasgow!
McMuffin: She was found covered in cancerous tumors and on the verge of death. The team thought the only thing they could do was keep her comfortable until the inevitable happened, but she not only survived, she thrived! Chemotherapy meant she lost an eye, but she gained something even better: a new home in Germany!
Hope: She was attacked with a knife and nail gun and was left completely paralyzed. But to her great joy, a volunteer tourist fell in love with her and adopted her. Hope now lives in London!
Faith and PhoenixThe dogs had been in a cage for years and were smelly, their skin and fur were covered in feces. They didn’t even look like dogs. Faith had a deep wound around her eye and maggots were crawling around it! It took a lot of patience, cleaning and medication – the pair look completely different now. Faith has been adopted by a family in Ireland, while Phoenix is ​​still looking for a forever home.
Want to hear more? Inspiring rescue storiesPayment? Happy Doggo or NileX's profile. Some posts are guaranteed to restore your faith in humanity! And if you're interested in adopting any of the puppies, head over to Website!
