Lois Jayne Curtis, there is certainly a lot to take in.i hope you get to be in Thailand soon.

Hi,you can look on the website boi.go.th which handles immigration,etc for Thailand. It shows the requirements for all of the various Visa types that are available for being in Thailand. They may even have information about bringing pets in.

There are eight  approved agencies  which you can contact before you go as I am currently doing.

Not a government program.

A long-term resident Visa allows you to work. it might be worth a look for you .