Solutions to the Problem of Cruelty to Dogs and Cats in Thailand
Due to news reports appeared in foreign media in Europe, America and Asia conceming the cruel slaughtering of dogs and cats in Thailand for domestic consumption, and the animals' skin are being exported. Coupled with the requests many foreigners have continuously raised through the Toyal Thai Embassies and the Royal Thai Consulates abroad, urging that the practice be stopped. Moreover, some United States members of the House of Representatives initiated a draft bill " The dog and Cat Protection Act" to the House of Representatives and the senate. Should this draft bill become law, it may affect the export of Thai leather products to the United States. In addcition, the aforementioned incidents also tamish Thailand's image.
The Thai Prime Minister therefore asked the Foreign Ministry to hold a meeting with authorities concerned to ascertain the fact of the matter. The meeting will also try to devise proper actions to be taken in order to solve the problem and to find ways and means to ensure that the problem will not recur. Mr. Don Pramudwinai, Director-General of the Department of Information, chaired the meeting in May 2000 with representatives from the public and private sectors namely; the Agriculture Ministry; the interior Ministry; the Public Health Ministry; the Attorney General's Office; the National Police; the Commerce Ministry; the Industry Ministry; Tourism Authority of Thailand; Public Information Department; the Veterinary Society; the Association to Prevent the Cruelty against Animals; Animal welfare Unit of Thailand and the Tanning industry Association, to consider the matter.
According to the information supplied by the representatives from concerned agencies, the legal tanning factory in Thailand do not process dogs and cats'skins. However, the slaughtering of dogs and cats for domestic consumption and for commercial purpose do exist, although presently it is practiced among a small group of people in northeastern part of Thailand. In this regard, the meeting took note of the alarming trend that the practice may spread to other parts of Thailand as well. The meeting therefore recommended short and long-term measures to deal with the problem, approved by the Prime Minister, as follows:
*Shot-term Measures The meeting agreed that the existing laws especially concerning public health, if vigorously enforced, would help deter the practice. They also proposed that a campaign should be launched to educate the public to desist from consuming or mistreating both types of animals.
*Long-term Measures The meeting proposed that authoroties concerned should set up a committee to draft the Act to Prevent Cruelty to Animals as well as to amend the existing laws. It recommended the Agriculture Ministry to serve as the focal point. These measures would be a part of Thailand's effort to look after animal welfare and it would, in the future, be expanded to cover other types of animals facing the Similar problem