Ryan Clark's Bali dog rescue

When the going gets rough, Bondi Rescue star Ryan Clark doesn't paws for thought.

Whether it's a human or a canine needing help. the former Home and Away star is always ready to lend a hand - and on a holiday in Bali, the lifeguard got busy rescuing the island's sick and threatened street dogs.

According to Ryan, life's no beach for most of Bali's estimated 600,000 dogs. The majority of them are strays, malnourished and in poor health. Puppies, especially females, are frequently dumped in the gutter to die. And many mutts live with serious, untreated injuries from devastating road accidents.

But the Bali Animal Welfare Association's (BAWA) dogged devotion is slowly turning things around under the leadership of Janice Girardi, an American expat who's worked tirelessly to improve the life of man's best friends.

'You can walk into the BAWA veterinary clinic at Ubud, and your heart melts,' says 27-year-old Ryan, who first shot to TV fame as Summer Bay's cheeky grommet Sam Marshall.

'Bali dogs are unique and beautiful, but the problem is very few locals seek treatment for sick animals, even if they're pets.'

With the help of volunteers - many of them Aussies - BAWA supports a fully staffed clinic, 24-hour animal ambulance, mobile sterilisation clinic, street feeding and a puppy adoption program.

Sadly, the dogs are sometimes too far gone to be saved and must be humanely put to sleep. All services are free for Balinese pet owners who can't afford to pay.

At present, Janice is meeting all the expenses of the animal ambulance, so financial support is urgently needed to pay for fuel, maintenance costs, staff, medicine and equipment.

BAWA's major fundraiser was held recently in Melbourne.
'But there's plenty to do all year round, so spread the word,' grins Ryan, who lives near his beloved Bondi in Sydney.

For every $20 donated, a dog can be desexed, which not only improves one animal's quality of life, but also helps stop many more being born into misery.

Visit balistreetdogs.org.au or bawabali.com for details.