1 00:00:00,440 --> 00:00:03,320 Speaker 1: Jersey and Amanda gem Nation. 2 00:00:03,600 --> 00:00:06,360 Speaker 2: If you're on social media and you love animals, chances 3 00:00:06,400 --> 00:00:09,280 Speaker 2: are you know our next guest. His name is Nil Harbison. 4 00:00:09,680 --> 00:00:13,280 Speaker 2: He went from being a successful entrepreneur cooking for celebrities 5 00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:16,240 Speaker 2: like U two and Tom Hanks, to caring for stray 6 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:19,280 Speaker 2: dogs in Thailand and growing over a million followers in 7 00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:22,680 Speaker 2: the process. He credits the dogs with saving his life, 8 00:00:22,960 --> 00:00:25,360 Speaker 2: and he's written a book called Hope, How Street Dogs 9 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:26,720 Speaker 2: Taught Me the Meaning of Life. 10 00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:28,240 Speaker 3: Niall, hi here, he is. 11 00:00:29,040 --> 00:00:31,200 Speaker 1: Good morning, Gith, so nice to talk to you. 12 00:00:31,400 --> 00:00:33,680 Speaker 2: I've seen all your stuff on Instagram. I didn't realize 13 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:36,800 Speaker 2: your backstory and the kind of life that you stepped 14 00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:41,080 Speaker 2: away from. Tell us about those big, high flying years 15 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:41,920 Speaker 2: of yours. 16 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:44,360 Speaker 1: Yeah. Well, I was a chef for a long time 17 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:46,240 Speaker 1: and cooked for a lot of famous and rich people, 18 00:00:46,440 --> 00:00:49,920 Speaker 1: and then I set up businesses and was in the 19 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:52,839 Speaker 1: corporate world and kind of trudging to work like a 20 00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 1: lot of people ninety five pushing numbers of own spreadsheets 21 00:00:57,760 --> 00:01:00,720 Speaker 1: stuff like that, and then I just decided to to 22 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:03,680 Speaker 1: quit and head to the beach in Thailand, which is 23 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 1: a dream I guess for other people. 24 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:07,880 Speaker 3: Because it's interesting. You get from being a chef to 25 00:01:08,319 --> 00:01:11,520 Speaker 3: a number crunch as you say, but cheffing is kind 26 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:12,800 Speaker 3: of more creative, isn't it. 27 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:15,959 Speaker 1: Yeah, it is, but it's also a really hard job. 28 00:01:16,760 --> 00:01:19,479 Speaker 1: You know, most of us eat and enjoy your time out, 29 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:22,319 Speaker 1: but like, you're working pretty anti social hours. I used 30 00:01:22,319 --> 00:01:24,959 Speaker 1: to drink a lot. You're working weekends, you don't get 31 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:28,119 Speaker 1: to see your friends. So it's maybe as glamorous as 32 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:29,160 Speaker 1: it sounds being a chef. 33 00:01:29,319 --> 00:01:30,920 Speaker 3: I now remember when you say, how are you cooking 34 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:33,040 Speaker 3: for you too? And people like that, You know that'd 35 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:35,760 Speaker 3: be great. You know Bono would be you know, he'd 36 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:37,760 Speaker 3: always be up for a Guinness pie. 37 00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:41,119 Speaker 1: Yeah, he ordered Actually one time when I was cooking 38 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:44,240 Speaker 1: thirty seven full Irish breakfast when he heard the chef 39 00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:46,640 Speaker 1: was Irish and I was in the kitchen. So that 40 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:49,360 Speaker 1: was six o'clock, six o'clock in the morning. So he 41 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:51,960 Speaker 1: was actually one of the nicer celebrities, believe it or not. 42 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:56,400 Speaker 2: When you went to Thailand, did you have this mission 43 00:01:56,520 --> 00:01:58,880 Speaker 2: in mind or did you saw the need on the 44 00:01:58,880 --> 00:01:59,840 Speaker 2: streets of Thailand? 45 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:03,279 Speaker 1: No, I saw the need. I mean it's a long story, 46 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:06,760 Speaker 1: but I actually ended up in hospital because I drank 47 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:09,280 Speaker 1: so much and I had, like I suffer from depression 48 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:12,359 Speaker 1: and anxiety, so I had a bit of a life 49 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:15,400 Speaker 1: flashing before my eyes sort of moment where I was like, 50 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:18,560 Speaker 1: wow that like, you know, this is if I'm going 51 00:02:18,639 --> 00:02:20,440 Speaker 1: to die here, which I thought I was. I was like, 52 00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:23,160 Speaker 1: this isn't very you know, I haven't achieved very much 53 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:24,639 Speaker 1: in my life, so I was like, I need to 54 00:02:24,680 --> 00:02:27,680 Speaker 1: do something more meaningful. It sounds a bit corny, but 55 00:02:27,760 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 1: that's exactly how it was. And I just started then 56 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:33,760 Speaker 1: feeding dogs and building a whole new life. 57 00:02:34,120 --> 00:02:36,000 Speaker 2: So when you feed the dogs, it's not like you 58 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:39,000 Speaker 2: take them all into your home. You actually feed the 59 00:02:39,040 --> 00:02:40,480 Speaker 2: dogs on the streets. 60 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:43,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, I don't know, it's kind of hard 61 00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:45,440 Speaker 1: to understand, but I feed eight hundred dogs every day 62 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:49,200 Speaker 1: via a little woman makes it food for me and 63 00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:51,880 Speaker 1: then I distribute some of it on my mopad and 64 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:54,880 Speaker 1: other I give it to other volunteers as well. If 65 00:02:54,919 --> 00:02:58,040 Speaker 1: anybody's been to maybe Bally and you're part of the 66 00:02:58,080 --> 00:03:00,720 Speaker 1: world or one of these countries, they're so many street 67 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:03,320 Speaker 1: dogs and it's not like you know, where I'm from 68 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:07,040 Speaker 1: Ireland or Australia where everything is nicely. You know, everybody's 69 00:03:07,040 --> 00:03:09,760 Speaker 1: got their pets and you've got the odd dog. There 70 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:13,000 Speaker 1: are dogs on every street corner that are looking for food, 71 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:16,679 Speaker 1: so it's a whole different world and they struggle massively, 72 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:18,399 Speaker 1: so I'm trying to help them out a little bit. 73 00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:22,720 Speaker 3: Are they more and more dogs appearing or do you 74 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:24,320 Speaker 3: know what I mean, because it's never going to stop, 75 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:26,320 Speaker 3: is that there's going to be dogs and all of 76 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:27,800 Speaker 3: a sudden there be too many dogs. 77 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:31,639 Speaker 1: Yeah, well, once they hear there's an Irish guy out 78 00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:35,680 Speaker 1: on the moped feeding that, they do appear from everywhere. No, 79 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:38,360 Speaker 1: I do a lot of sterilizing as well, which is 80 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:41,119 Speaker 1: neutering or spain the dogs. So that's the only way 81 00:03:41,160 --> 00:03:43,280 Speaker 1: to tackle it, is to get the numbers down. So 82 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:47,800 Speaker 1: the feeding is fun and essential, but the sterilizing is 83 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:50,880 Speaker 1: even more important. So my dream is to get the 84 00:03:50,960 --> 00:03:54,840 Speaker 1: number of street dogs down around the world. So it 85 00:03:54,920 --> 00:03:58,200 Speaker 1: does take a lot of less exciting stuff. I guess. 86 00:03:58,200 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 1: The sterilizing is really really. 87 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:01,400 Speaker 3: And you do that yourself. 88 00:04:02,760 --> 00:04:04,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, I've said it all up like literally from the 89 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:05,600 Speaker 1: back of my moped. 90 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:07,680 Speaker 3: But no, but the steril are you do the sterilizing 91 00:04:07,720 --> 00:04:09,320 Speaker 3: yourself on the back of your mind. I was about 92 00:04:09,360 --> 00:04:10,640 Speaker 3: to say, gee. 93 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:13,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, there's a look, I'm a bit squeamish as well, 94 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:15,360 Speaker 1: Like I've struggled. I always deal with broken legs and 95 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:17,000 Speaker 1: stuff like that. But I take them to vets and 96 00:04:17,160 --> 00:04:19,480 Speaker 1: there's and I'm trying to like build out build out 97 00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:21,880 Speaker 1: systems here as well. There's there's some other actually a 98 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:24,159 Speaker 1: couple of ausies here who do do some work as well. 99 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:27,760 Speaker 1: So we we have a team of vets and and 100 00:04:27,839 --> 00:04:29,480 Speaker 1: people on the ground now as well who. 101 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 2: Help tell us some of the individual dogs. The stories 102 00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:35,440 Speaker 2: are heartbreaking, aren't they The cases with dogs that have 103 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:37,080 Speaker 2: been hit in the head with axes and things. And 104 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:40,120 Speaker 2: I love seeing the transformation of these pets, of these dogs. 105 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:44,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, the some of them are are just her I 106 00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:47,240 Speaker 1: see horrific cruelty. But I think if you like, if 107 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:50,719 Speaker 1: you look on social media or anywhere, it's quite depressing. 108 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:52,680 Speaker 1: So I tried to put a positive spin on it, 109 00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:56,880 Speaker 1: like and show their transformations so nobody wants to log 110 00:04:56,920 --> 00:05:00,720 Speaker 1: in and see cruelty or or you know, bloody images. 111 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:02,599 Speaker 1: So the way I do it is like I have 112 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:05,640 Speaker 1: some really good little characters, like McMuffin is one dog. 113 00:05:05,760 --> 00:05:08,920 Speaker 1: She is cancer and she's thrown out in the streets 114 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:12,320 Speaker 1: basically because they didn't want her anymore. So we transformed her, 115 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:14,920 Speaker 1: fixed her up, but took about four or five months, 116 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:19,440 Speaker 1: but she's now fantastic. There's King Whacker. Yeah, he got 117 00:05:19,440 --> 00:05:24,040 Speaker 1: split open with a pick axe on his head, which 118 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:25,760 Speaker 1: was not was pretty grim at the start when I 119 00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:27,800 Speaker 1: had him in the truck, but now he lives over 120 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:33,080 Speaker 1: in Scotland. So basically the I focus a lot on, 121 00:05:33,200 --> 00:05:36,480 Speaker 1: like those individual cases are really transformations and they make 122 00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:38,400 Speaker 1: people feel good, I think, and then they see a 123 00:05:38,400 --> 00:05:41,160 Speaker 1: happy ending. So I've rehomed fifty five dogs in the 124 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:44,360 Speaker 1: last year, which is that's pretty good. Yeah, it's not 125 00:05:44,400 --> 00:05:47,599 Speaker 1: going to change the whole problem, but it's definitely for 126 00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:49,720 Speaker 1: those dogs and the families they've gone to. I think 127 00:05:49,720 --> 00:05:51,000 Speaker 1: it makes it difference. 128 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:53,719 Speaker 2: And how has this turned your life around? You said 129 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:54,800 Speaker 2: that the dogs have saved you. 130 00:05:56,040 --> 00:05:59,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, unbelievably, like I was in hospital. Like I said, 131 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:02,679 Speaker 1: it's one of them drinking in the background. Tina, who's 132 00:06:02,720 --> 00:06:05,800 Speaker 1: one of the one of the special dogs. She's she's 133 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:09,240 Speaker 1: actually unfortunately in the later stages of her life now 134 00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:12,240 Speaker 1: at the moment, but I'm kind of people love her. 135 00:06:12,279 --> 00:06:14,520 Speaker 1: She's a Golden Retriever. She was tied up on a chain, 136 00:06:15,520 --> 00:06:19,000 Speaker 1: but she she's now living a wonderful life. So it's 137 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:21,279 Speaker 1: changed changed my life in terms of like, look, it's 138 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:23,839 Speaker 1: really early here. I just woke up at five point thirty. 139 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:27,239 Speaker 1: The sun was out, and I have a huge pepper 140 00:06:27,279 --> 00:06:28,760 Speaker 1: mut Like I get to go and feed dogs for 141 00:06:28,839 --> 00:06:31,279 Speaker 1: the day, which is a dream for many people. I 142 00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:33,160 Speaker 1: might in the old days, I might have just been 143 00:06:33,160 --> 00:06:37,000 Speaker 1: coming home now or even starting to drink at this 144 00:06:37,080 --> 00:06:39,880 Speaker 1: time after waking up. So it's a bleak game changer. 145 00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:42,200 Speaker 1: I get to do what I love, and I'm very 146 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:45,080 Speaker 1: I feel blessed to do that because most people are 147 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:47,520 Speaker 1: like I used to be, you know, tied down with 148 00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:52,000 Speaker 1: mortgages and dependencies and you know all the all the 149 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:53,680 Speaker 1: stuff that I used to trudge to work and not 150 00:06:54,080 --> 00:06:55,680 Speaker 1: enjoy it at all. So now I'm doing something I 151 00:06:55,720 --> 00:06:58,080 Speaker 1: really love when I'm very, very blessed with that. 152 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:00,960 Speaker 3: Well, no, you're doing great work. Because my experience with 153 00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:04,000 Speaker 3: dogs in the street dogs is Lady in the Tramp 154 00:07:04,080 --> 00:07:05,040 Speaker 3: and that's pretty much. 155 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:06,920 Speaker 2: You know how they ate all the spaghetti. 156 00:07:07,960 --> 00:07:10,560 Speaker 3: That was pretty much it. But you know this is 157 00:07:10,880 --> 00:07:11,440 Speaker 3: a new light. 158 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:13,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, my god, watch that movie. 159 00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:15,440 Speaker 3: That's that's good. 160 00:07:15,520 --> 00:07:16,000 Speaker 1: It's good. 161 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:19,880 Speaker 3: That's good, niall, thank you for joining us. You can 162 00:07:19,920 --> 00:07:22,840 Speaker 3: pre order Nile's book Hope, How Street Dogs taught Me 163 00:07:22,880 --> 00:07:26,920 Speaker 3: the Meaning of life through Booktobia and Amazon. Thank you 164 00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:27,760 Speaker 3: for joining us. 165 00:07:28,360 --> 00:07:30,200 Speaker 1: Thanks for having me, guys, and have a lovely day.