Animal cruelty act debated after string of dog killings, mauling of teenager

The first publicised case took place in January 2015 when a dog known as Kan Klauy was severely injured after Nong Khai resident Kamdee Kotata threw a knife at the dog, claiming it had bitten his chickens. The dog received more than 100 stitches and the Nong Khai Provincial Court sentenced Kamdee to a one-year suspended jail term and a Bt2,000 fine.

Also in January, 32-year-old Wicha Boonlualak shot a dog, which was known by local residents as Khao Dam, in front of the Imperial Department Store in Bangkok’s Lat Phrao district. The dog died at the scene. 

Wicha later confessed to shooting the dog, claiming that it had chased him while he was riding his bike many times, including on the day of the shooting.

A court sentenced him to 14 months in jail and a Bt7,500 fine but commuted the sentence to a one-year suspended sentence and one hour of community service.

Then in July, the Mukdahan Provincial Court found Saner Roopngam, 49, guilty of beating and slashing a dog’s throat, while Withaya Chaiyan, 30, was convicted of posting a video clip depicting the killing. Saner was sentenced to three months in jail and a Bt10,000 fine and Withaya three-month suspended jail term.

Watch Dog Thailand (WDT) reported the clip to police after it was posted on Facebook in May. Both suspects were arrested four days after the incident and charged with acts of unjustified animal cruelty.

And early this year, a transgender woman, Yonlada Champasri, 23, threw a Chihuahua from the fifth floor of a building. The dog, which belonged to Yonlada’s friend Meyani Sithisuk, was found dead on the second-floor rooftop of the building.

Yonlada later confessed to throwing the dog out of the window after the animal had soiled her room. She was charged with the destruction of property and animal cruelty and sentenced to two months in jail.

Last, this month the Northern Bangkok District Court sentenced food vendor Anont Meksan to two months in jail after he confessed that he hit a dog with a metal club after the animal bit his seven-year-old son. He claimed that he then stabbed the dog to death because he did not want it to suffer from the original injury.

The incident was caught on by a closed-circuit TV camera and shared on social media, causing a public uproar.

Animal-rights activists reject criticism that the cruelty act gives animals priority over humans, although opponents of the law have said that people might be afraid to help someone who is being attacked by an animal because they do not want to break the law. Opponents cite a recent incident when a dog mauled a 14-year-old girl, who required more than 100 stitches on her face.

However, animal-rights advocates argue that the law is necessary to protect animals that live alongside humans and are unable to speak for themselves and defend their rights.