Kawiporn Winichthaoprathom, known as Auntie Tim, the 73-year-old owner of a self-funded animal shelter in Saraburi, has become a viral sensation since her appearance on the package of Hershey's white chocolate confectionery with cookie bits. She is the first Thai woman to join the brand's campaign celebrating women's contribution to society. Auntie Tim says she has been looking after abandoned dogs since 2003. However, lately she's had to downsize her concrete-mixing business and put her land and house up for sale to meet the challenges of caring for 1,300 dogs and 600 cats, at a cost of almost 1 million baht per month. She has received donations from King Rama X since 2021.
Still, it hasn't been enough. When her son told her that Hershey asked for permission to feature his mother on its wrapper, at first she didn't take interest, thinking that because she isn't a celebrity it wouldn't boost sales. Since receiving widespread publicity, however, she has come to see it as benefitting her campaign.
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