Pictures courtesy of Daily News

Four pupils were injured after three mixed-breed dogs entered a school in Wang Nam Khiao district, Nakhon Ratchasima province, and attacked them, with one child suffering serious injuries requiring emergency surgery. The incident occurred on 5 January 2026 and caused panic among pupils, teachers and parents at the school. Local authorities have detained the dogs for observation amid concerns over rabies.

According to reports received on 6 January 2026, the dogs attacked three boys and one girl inside the school grounds. The children sustained bite wounds to their arms, legs and ears, and were initially given first aid before being taken to Wang Nam Khiao Hospital. One boy suffered severe injuries to his knee, including torn ligaments and was transferred to Maharaj Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital for urgent surgery.

Community leaders and officials helped capture the three dogs shortly after the attack. The animals were sent for quarantine and observation to determine whether they carry rabies, due to the potential risk to the injured pupils. Authorities said the dogs were unfamiliar to the school and their owner was initially unknown.

Investigations suggest the dogs are mixed breeds of Doberman and German Shepherd, aged around six to seven months and are not Thai native breeds. Officials believe the dogs may belong to a nearby resort owner and could have fled after being frightened by firecrackers and fireworks during the New Year holiday period. It is also believed that pupils may have attempted to play with the dogs, causing them to panic and attack.

The school has remained open and continues normal classes, although many pupils remain shaken by the incident. Parents have expressed concern for their children’s safety and have urged the school to monitor its grounds more closely and immediately remove any dogs that enter the premises. Authorities confirmed that two of the dogs have been vaccinated and neutered, while the third has been sent to a livestock agency for laboratory testing.

Daily News reported that veterinarian Pawarakit Sopakul, the subdistrict veterinarian for Wang Mee, stated that the dogs in his care were domesticated rather than strays. He said the attack was likely caused by fear rather than inherent aggression and advised children to avoid approaching unfamiliar dogs and to alert adults immediately. Officials are continuing to gather evidence, as no owner has yet come forward to accept responsibility.

Key Takeaways

• Four pupils were injured in a dog attack at a school in Wang Nam Khiao, with one seriously hurt.

• The three dogs are mixed-breed Doberman and German Shepherds, now quarantined for rabies observation.

• Authorities are still searching for the dogs’ owner and assessing legal responsibility.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now from Dailynews 2026-01-07

 

 

Once it's determined they aren't rabid, if they can't find the owners, are they just released back onto the streets to attack again?

This is what happens time after time when allowing stray mutts to roam the streets as well as no serious penalties for lazy and ignorant owners. Eradicate the stray dog population and treat every dog running free outside as a stray. Where are all the dog lovers now? Let´s read what you have to post this time. How are we defending the mutts this time?

As long as in this country, what's it called again, oh yes, LOS, as long as dogs are considered sacred, nothing will change.

And I call it a disaster, seeing so many dogs running loose every day.

14 hours ago, HappyExpat57 said:

Once it's determined they aren't rabid, if they can't find the owners, are they just released back onto the streets to attack again?

I guess I'll be the one to tell you. The one and only way to test any animal for rabies is by examining its brain. Those dogs are now dead. That, or Thailand's medics are so completely medically illiterate that they're unaware that you have to kill an animal to test it for rabies.

17 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Local authorities have detained the dogs for observation amid concerns over rabies.

Dont worry about the dogs, concentrate on getting the kids rabies shots

Thailand has a dog problem. They need to figure something out.

17 hours ago, Peterphuket said:

as long as dogs are considered sacred, nothing will change.

Tis true.