Protect animals, yes, but KEEP STREETS SAFE too

There was a joke going around – not particularly funny in our view – that stray dogs, knowing Thailand now has a law against animal cruelty, have become more “arrogant” in their dealings with humans. It would be nice if the law were indeed protecting all animals, but that has not been the case.

Since the legislation was enacted in December 2014 there have been at least 10 instances when animals were brutally killed. Three of them were prominent in the headlines because they involved the shooting of stray dogs, the shooters in each case claiming to have acted in self-defence when the animals behaved “aggressively” towards them or loved ones. One of the shooters was an elderly politician, and in the latest case, it was a senior police officer.

All three of these men were charged with violating the Animal Cruelty Prevention and Animal Welfare Act, firing guns without just cause and carrying firearms in a public place.

The law against animal cruelty carries a maximum penalty of two years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to Bt40,000. It allows for the killing of specific animals for food as well as for religious purposes, disease control – and to ensure the safety of humans or other animals.

In the first of the high-profile cases, the Criminal Court last month sentenced a Bangkok motorist to 14 months in jail, suspended, and fined him Bt7,500 for shooting dead a stray dog in January 2015, just a month after the law was promulgated. He was also ordered to do 12 hours of community service. Legal deliberations continue in the two other cases, against the 78-year-old politician and the high-ranking policeman.

At least six other cases of animal cruelty have been brought to court. A dog was thrown from a tall building, another skinned and eaten. A kitten was stoned to death. Four pet dogs were killed with poison. Just two defendants have gone to jail, on sentences of two to three months.

There is little reason to dispute that the law against animal cruelty is help

 ful in reining in man’s beastly behaviour towards other species. But nor is there any expectation that the law will be enough to end the cruelty. Much more needs to be done, beyond the judicial system, to curb such insensitivity and promote animal rights and welfare. And much more also needs to be done to ensure the safety of people when there are starving, potentially vicious stray dogs roaming urban streets.

Now that we have legislation safeguarding animals, surely the preponderance of strays becomes the central problem in need of addressing. The population of street dogs has to be kept in check, and there are two ways to do it. Municipal authorities should from time to time be collecting and either mercifully killing the dogs or confining them to kennels. 

And people who buy dogs as pets should understand that, if the animals become a burden in the home, they cannot be simply thrust into the street. It should be mandatory for pet owners to register their dogs and cats and have them implanted with an identifying microchip. At the very least the owners would be fully aware of their responsibility and commitment and less likely to be fickle about their pets’ unruly behaviour.

Looking deeper, it’s essential that children be taught to treat animals with respect and learn to gain their trust and never be cruel to them. All it takes is one early negative experience with an animal for youngsters to grow up regarding all animals with hostility. Ensure the experiences are pleasant ones for young children and they’ll feel secure enough to treat them well. 

It could well be that a fundamental mistrust of strange animals played a role in the recent shootings of stray dogs. The men with the guns will alone have to consider that as they await the court’s verdict. It could also be that the dogs they killed so savagely were indeed behaving savagely and posing a genuine threat. We need such animals off the street, and having citizens doing the job with guns isn’t the answer.