Thai Monk Warns: Animal Care Requires Compassion, Not Cruelty

[webfact]

Picture: Daily News

 

Monk Phayom has issued a stern warning to monks about their conduct towards animals, emphasizing compassion and care rather than harm or neglect

 

CHACHOENGSAO: -- A disturbing case emerged from a temple in Soi Klong, Bang Pakong District, Chachoengsao Province, where a monk, after adopting four kittens via Facebook, was alleged to have brutally killed them.

 

The cats were reportedly sealed in a sack, hurled to the floor until lifeless, and finally burnt.

 

Monk Phayom Kalyano, the abbot of Wat Suan Kaew, Bang Len, Bang Yai, Nonthaburi Province, condemned this atrocious act on May 17, reported Daily News.

 

He affirmed that such behavior is unbecoming of monks and morally repugnant. He stressed that a monk's role is to foster life, not to destroy it.

 

Monks continuing to harm animals despite warnings should face expulsion, said Phayom.

 

He urged fellow monks who opt to adopt animals to do so with genuine compassion, ensuring their wellbeing and safety. Phayom highlighted the hundreds of animals at Wat Suan Kaew, all of whom are well-cared for without any prior incidents, as a model of proper monastic animal stewardship.

 

In a final plea, Monk Phayom called for kindness, urging monks to look after animals, feed them adequately, and ensure their comfort and safety, in line with their spiritual duty.

 

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[ikke1959]

Why do I see so many dirty/unhealthy looking dogs at temples?? Are there no veterinarians?? Besides, that stray dogs, nobody cares about them.. Is that compassion too? 

[worgeordie]

Some Temples use animals to draw in "customers" , in the hope they will

leave donations for their upkeep , commercial enterprise ? most Temples

have a draw of some kind.......

 

regards Worgeordie

[huangnon]

15 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

Why do I see so many dirty/unhealthy looking dogs at temples?? Are there no veterinarians?? Besides, that stray dogs, nobody cares about them.. Is that compassion too? 

Basically, because idiot "owners" decide that their 'cute' puppy isn't cute anymore and actually needs care and feeding, so they just throw it out of the car in front of the nearest temple (or at the nearest beach restaurant).

Pass on responsibility to someone else. Most temples can't really cope with the amount of animals thrown into the compound.

[steven100]

many temples have warning signs against Thai's dumping there dogs there ....

[Moonlover]

I wonder why Monk Phayom is only addressing his message to fellow monks.

 

This is, I'm lead to believe, largely a Buddhist country and compassion for animals is incumbent on ALL Buddhists. Or I did I read that all wrong?

[fredwiggy]

Maybe again, this is the responsibility of the government to spay and neuter stray animals, thereby reducing their populations, lowering the auto-animal accidents, dog bites, sometimes causing rabies, constant dog fights around homes, especially at night, and other problems from the overpopulation of stray dogs?  They could use some of the money that's put towards a military that doesn't or will never need as many weapons, tanks, planes and such. Spaying and neutering goes on daily here, but it needs to be done at a much larger rate. People don't do it here near as much as in the states, and there there are programs where it's done at a much reduced rate there, which should be started here. Can't complain about the problem because there's only one way it will be reduced. I've heard myself a few times that people dump animals at temples because they will be taken care of there. This shows it isn't always so, as there are many monks that are hiding out there and become monks to stay out of jail. Same as the military used to be in the US.

[webfact]

Alleged cat-killing monk defrocked and charged with animal cruelty
 

 

A monk at a temple in Bang Pakong district of Thailand’s eastern province of Chachoengsao was arrested by police yesterday (Wednesday) and charged with animal cruelty after allegedly killing dozens of cats.

 

The arrest followed a complaint from Rattiya Tiaotrakul, who works for the Watchdog Thailand Foundation, accusing the 23-year-old monk, Phra Porndanai, of posting a message on Facebook asking if anyone needs to find a new home for brown kittens, but later asked for cats of any colour.

 

Rattiya claimed that she had obtained video clips showing the young monk crushing some cats to death and eating them.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/alleged-cat-killing-monk-defrocked-and-charged-with-animal-cruelty/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2023-05-18

 

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[JayClay]

3 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Some Temples use animals to draw in "customers" ,

Indeed. I can think of no bigger draw to an attraction than a bunch of aggressive, and possibly rabid, dogs barking and growling at you as you enter.

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

The cats were reportedly sealed in a sack, hurled to the floor until lifeless, and finally burnt.

Yikes.

[Moonlover]

5 hours ago, JayClay said:

Indeed. I can think of no bigger draw to an attraction than a bunch of aggressive, and possibly rabid, dogs barking and growling at you as you enter.

I've visited quite a number of temples in my time here and I haven't encountered that situation once. In fact I've never encountered it at all. I find almost all dogs here to be quite placid. 

[MrMuddle]

10 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

Why do I see so many dirty/unhealthy looking dogs at temples?? Are there no veterinarians?? Besides, that stray dogs, nobody cares about them.. Is that compassion too? 

Not true that no one cares. We adopted a female and five puppies from our temple a few months ago. Although one sadly died due to a puppy virus that was going around, the others have all been fully vaccinated, and are now thriving in our care. Hopefully we will have many years together with them.

[khaowong1]

12 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

Why do I see so many dirty/unhealthy looking dogs at temples?? Are there no veterinarians?? Besides, that stray dogs, nobody cares about them.. Is that compassion too? 

Because most temples only feed the dogs and cats left over scraps.  While I was living in Thailand, I really became disgusted the way the majority of the temples treated these animals.  

[digger70]

We have a Temple here full off Mangy soi dogs , Now not many people go there anymore Because they don't like the many soi dogs barking and chasing them on their motorbikes.

It's about time that they stop wasting money and spaying and Neutering  and use that money to Eradicate the Vermin. 

This Buddhism religion is a big scam . 

Can't kill animals but the cruelty the soi dogs live in is Accepted . Mange ,Flea bitten, tick riddled,  hungry ,biting ,chasing Vermin.

Getting puppies and after a few months they get kicked out on the road, Is that Buddhism?

Isn't it time that the Government get their priorities in order and clean up this Non Buddhism mess,    Exterminate All vermin.

[jcmj]

Spaying and neutering did very little for our Soi. New strays arrive and here comes the puppies again. Also they drop them off in the same area they found them. Now they are chasing people walking, motorbikes, and even cars. It is not safe to go down the Soi anymore without a stick for protection. Unfortunately we will never get rid off them due to the people leaving scraps for them. They don’t live here so they don’t have to worry about it. Nice gesture but take a couple home with you. Hopefully you’ll get a couple of the nice ones. 

[quake]

Thailand is a bottomless pit of cruelty to animals.

Well done Mr Monk for calling out your people on this.

Now need to call the rest of Thailand out.