SURAT THANI: A 37-year-old woman seen dragging a dog behind her fast-moving car has told police the animal had died and she was just trying to protect her young daughter from possible infection.

On Wednesday police questioned Namfon Suk-oon after receiving a complaint that she had been seen dragging a dog along a road for about 10 kilometres by a rope tied to the back of her green Honda Civic car. 

The complaint was filed by Siriwatana Saksri, who said he saw the incident while driving near Ratchaprapha dam in Ban Ta Khun district on Wednesday evening.

He had tried to overtake and stop the car, but it accelerated ahead of him. Mr Siriwatana did record a brief video of the chase.

Pol Col Jamnote Kaeokhao, chief of Ban Ta Khun station, said Ms Namfon explained that her pet dog had died of an intestinal illness at her rented house and she was on her way to dispose of the carcass.

She had not wanted to put it inside her car for fear that it would transmit disease to her two-year-old daughter. So she had tied the carcass to the exhaust pipe instead.

Police had doubts about her story but initially released her without charges, pending questioning of other witnesses.