A dog owner in Rayong has filed a police complaint after her eight-month-old pet dog was allegedly beaten to death by a construction worker before its body was singed with a gas torch in what she believes was an attempt to prepare it for cooking. Get today's headlines by email The incident was reported on 11 July after 60-year-old Nida, the owner of an eight-month-old male Thai Ridgeback named Chao Kluay, said the dog was killed at a construction workers’ camp in Klaeng district, Rayong. She later reported the case to Pol Lt Col Wutthiphong Talam, an investigator at Klaeng Police Station, requesting that legal action be taken against the suspect. According to Nida, she runs a plant business and keeps two dogs, Som Jit and Chao Kluay. The younger dog regularly played around her shop and often wandered to the nearby workers’ camp in the evenings, where a security guard routinely fed and looked after it. She said she was informed of the dog’s death by her younger brother, who sent photographs showing the animal lying dead beside a container unit. Nida said she was shocked to see that the dog had apparently been struck on the head with a steel bar and that its body had been burned with a gas cutting torch, leaving the fur badly scorched. Picture courtesy of Daily News The suspected worker, identified only as Mr A, reportedly told others that he attacked the dog because it had killed two of his chicks. Police found a bloodstained steel bar at the scene, along with burnt grass beside the container, which the owner believes indicates there was an intention to burn off the dog’s fur before using the meat for food. The camp supervisor reportedly attempted to negotiate a settlement with the owner, but Nida refused, saying she could not accept what had happened. She also told police she feared for her safety after claiming that, during discussions, someone involved said: “If I can kill a dog, I can kill a person.” Police at Klaeng Police Station have accepted the complaint and are preparing to question the suspect and other witnesses. Investigators are gathering evidence to determine charges under the Animal Cruelty Prevention and Animal Welfare Act 2014, along with any other relevant offences. Daily News reported that Nida has buried Chao Kluay in her garden. She said she wants the suspect prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law in the hope that similar incidents can be prevented in the future. Join the discussion? 12 July 2026
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