Rescued dogs dying of malnutrition

Of the 2,000 or so dogs rescued from being smuggled across the Mekong River to dinner tables in Vietnam, only 863 are alive because up to 10 of them succumb to injuries or illnesses everyday because many refuse to eat commercial dog food, veterinarian Jakraporn Suwattanachao said Thursday. The dogs are being quarantined at an animal station in Nakhon Phanom.

The crowded conditions at the animal station prompted an outbreak of canine distemper and other viral diseases, even though donations and dog food has been pouring in to save the dogs. The amount of donations hit Bt20.7 million Thursday, but so far, only Bt611,270 has been spent on cleaning cages, building new ones, providing food and medical supplies as well as paying officials.

The Nation