'Thais are reluctant to take matters into their own hands, notes ASEAN NOW due in no small part to animal cruelty laws that can see people jailed.'
Animal cruelty laws appear to be applied only to dogs, any, no matter how diseased or dangerous. Thais are not very concerned about animal welfare when it comes to cock fighting, capturing birds and turtles, not to mention the way livestock get treated or even how they 'look after' their pets. The special status of dogs is there for a reason, and it's not Buddhism.