Hang a dog and her pup to death? THB1,000. Throw a cat like a baseball? THB1,000. Barbeque, smash, stab, poison or suffocate animals? Whatever you do to them, the maximum punishment under the law remains THB1,000 and up to a month in jail, but just saying “sorry” will get people off the hook.
That may change if appointed legislature approves a long-shelved animal welfare bill that would provide harsher penalties for intentional abuse and also neglect. A draft version of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Animal Welfare Act was among nine bills seeking urgent attention from the National Legislative Assembly on Thursday. It cleared a first reading almost unanimously.
Legislators hoped the neglect clause would lead to fewer strays by compelling people to be more responsible with their animals and pets.
The legislation would cover livestock, pets, animals kept for entertainment and “any other purpose,” according to the Bangkok Post.
Cruelty is considered deliberate action or inaction that harms, disables or kill an animal. The law compels people to provide adequate care to their animals.
Violators would be punishable by up to a year in jail and fine upward of THB20,000.
Exceptions to the cruelty clause include slaughtering animals for food, killing them for “religious purposes,” or putting them down if they’re very sick or dangerous.
Photo: Khaosod
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