The sight of a monk using temple dogs to pull a food cart during morning alms no longer elicits smiles from locals after they noticed how exhausted the animals looked.
Phra Nutee Suttathammo, 67, who rose to internet fame four years ago because of his cart-pulling Golden Retriever, is facing a charge of animal cruelty in Chachoengsao province after angry residents called the police on him yesterday when they saw that Phra Nutee was using the dogs as a gimmick to ask for food and money.
His new dogs Song and Sam (Two and Three) reportedly looked sick and dehydrated. The residents who filed the report have asked a local animal hospital to examine the dogs and issue a note for the prosecution, the charity said.
In 2012, Phra Nutee previously owned a Golden Retriever, “Somwang,” who he claimed would wake him up for his morning alms and willingly pulled a food cart for him.
Somwang’s video went viral and made headlines in local media.
Then two years later, the cuteness appeared more like cruelty as Somwang was getting old.
Watchdog Thailand sent the dog to the vet, and he was diagnosed with a hip joint problem and poor vision.
Phra Nutee, who is based at Sothorn Wararam Temple in Udon Thani province, replaced Somwang after the dog disappeared.
Watchdog Thailand claimed Phra Nutee has treated at least five dogs cruelly in the past four years by forcing them to pull the cart.
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