NAKHON RATCHASIMA: Livestock officials have filed a complaint against a medical student suspected of killing his pet dog with an overdose of human medicine to claim compensation from a pet transport company.
Overdosing the dog deliberately amounted to animal cruelty in violation of the Cruelty Prevention and Welfare of Animals Act of 2014, said veterinarian Ratchaphum Khiewsanam, head of the animal health section at the Nakhon Ratchasima office of the Department of Livestock Development (DLD).
Mr Ratchaphum filed the complaint on behalf of the provincial DLD chief after meeting with Pol Maj Mongkhol Kuptisirirat, investigation chief at the Pho Klang police station, on Saturday.
A conviction for animal cruelty carries a jail term of up to two years and/or a fine of up to 40,000 baht, the veterinarian said.
The dog owner, a medical student at Mahidol University in Bangkok, has been the target of public outrage since a Facebook user called Jakkarin Ringngoen posted images showing the dog being mistreated.
Veterinarian Anongnat Suttham, who runs the Centre Pet Hospital in Nakhon Ratchasima, did an autopsy on the dead Pomeranian on Friday and said she suspected foul play.
The dog owner demanded compensation from the driver of the pet transport firm hired to deliver his animal to the veterinary clinic. The driver said the dog was healthy when he picked it up, which was why he asked Ms Anongnat to conduct an autopsy.
The results revealed that the dog had consumed a large amount of medicine. More than 10 pills that turned out to be human anti-hypertension medication were taken from its stomach. But the dog owner insisted he had fed his pet vitamins.
Pol Maj Mongkhol said police would call Ms Anongnat, the dog owner and the driver of the transport firm for questioning.
The pills found in the dog’s stomach would be sent to forensic and medical science centres to confirm the type of medication, he added.
The owner of another animal hospital in Nakhon Ratchasima came forward on Saturday with a similar story involving the same dog owner.
Khruewan Raksasap, owner of Ban Moh Ton Animal Hospital in Muang district, said a transport firm brought a seven-month old Pomeranian to her hospital on July 31 this year.
Her staff had checked on the male dog and found it was healthy. But one hour later, the animal showed signs of illness and later died, said Ms Khruewan. She immediately contacted the dog’s owner.
Later, the owner and a driver of the transport firm arrived at the animal hospital. The owner demanded 40,000 baht in compensation from the transport firm, but the company refused. He then demanded that the hospital and the transport firm jointly pay compensation, but the hospital refused, said Ms Khruewan.
The dog owner got angry and left the hospital, she added.
Meanwhile, Dr Prasit Watanapa, dean of the Mahidol University Faculty of Medicine at Siriraj Hospital, said on Saturday that faculty officials planned to interview the student and his parents on Monday.
An internal inquiry will be held and if the accusations turn out to be true, the faculty would not protect the wrongdoer, said Dr Prasit
“Give us time to investigate first because we have to interrogate the parents and the student. We will hold a news conference about the case as soon as possible,’’ the dean said.
Veterinarian Anongnat Suttham examines the frozen carcass of a Pomeranian that died under suspicious circumstances, after the animal was delivered to her pet hospital in Muang district of Nakhon Ratchasima on Friday. (Photo by Prasit Tangprasert)
An official of the Department of Livestock Development files a complaint with a Nakhon Ratchasima police officer against a medical student suspected of poisoning his pet dog to death with his doses of medicine to claim compensation.
Another animal hospital in Nakhon Ratchasima claims the same dog owner demanded compensation for the death of a dog last July. (Photo by Prasit Tangprasert)