Busts Show Dog-Smuggling Trade Booming

[Lite Beer]

Busts show dog-smuggling trade booming

By Thawee Apisakulchat,

Thaweep Srisuchat

The Nation on Sunday

Despite Thai authorities' recent crackdown on dog smugglers, local traders continue to supply dogs for dinner tables in Vietnam and China, with two more busts reported since Friday.

On Friday night, police arrested a Thai man driving a six-wheel truck with some 500 dogs that was due to meet up with a boat moored on the Mekong River in Nakhon Panom's Ban Phaeng district.

Following a report that smugglers were transporting dogs through their jurisdiction, Nakhon Phanom police set up a checkpoint and intercepted the truck, which was carrying the dogs in 60 cages. The truck driver, Salut Khotkok, 42, said he was hired to drive the truck from Sakhon Nakhon's Tha Rae area to the Ban Phaeng border pier.

Another 500 or so dogs in 58 cages were discovered yesterday at 5am in a wooded area of Tambon Ban Euang in Nakhon Phanom's Sri Songkhram district. The animals were believed to have been abandoned by members of the same gang involved in Friday's incident after they learned that their partners had been arrested.

This retrieval of some 1,000 dogs puts a further burden on the Nakhon Phanom animal quarantine centre, which had 1,530 dogs under its care to begin with.

In related news, Sakhon Nakhon governor Jarin Jakkapak yesterday instructed police and provincial livestock chief Pramote Srithon to move some of the provincial animal quarantine centre's 3,000 dogs, most of which were recently seized from smugglers in Tha Rae, to the Buri Ram animal quarantine centre. The move was ordered to reduce the crowded conditions at the Sakhon Nakhon centre, where some of the dogs had fallen ill.

The dogs are being kept as evidence in legal proceedings against Tha Rae smugglers. A verdict in the case is due to be read on January 17.

-- The Nation 2012-01-15

[toenail]

With all the stray. unkept dogs that wander around on the sois of the major cities in Thailand (including the ones that sleep at the entrances of the Seven Elevens or along a sidewalk acting as a speed bump) I say it is good that these dogs are being picked off the streets. I don't care if they are being eaten as long as they are no longer around. This is an inexpensive way for the Thai government to expedite these uncared* four legged creatures. (Note: a "CARED" dog has the proper shots, is bathed, is given proper food daily, and is owned by a particular family and stays in their secure yard. Putting a colar on a dog and let it becomme a "community dog" is not being cared for)

[teetersb]

Legalize and tax the dog trade. Win-Win

[BookMan]

With all the stray. unkept dogs that wander around on the sois of the major cities in Thailand (including the ones that sleep at the entrances of the Seven Elevens or along a sidewalk acting as a speed bump) I say it is good that these dogs are being picked off the streets. I don't care if they are being eaten as long as they are no longer around. This is an inexpensive way for the Thai government to expedite these uncared* four legged creatures. (Note: a "CARED" dog has the proper shots, is bathed, is given proper food daily, and is owned by a particular family and stays in their secure yard. Putting a colar on a dog and let it becomme a "community dog" is not being cared for)

And what if your 'cared' for dog is taken from your secure yard by some dog smugglers? What if the gate is left open and your dog goes wandering and is taken? You assume dog smugglers only take stray Soi dogs.

Most soi dogs are quite loving and friendly creatures and to see them packed in on top of each other in cramped cages is something I find distressing.

If Soi dogs are to be rounded up and sold off as food it needs to be done in a humane manner. In a way that doesn't promote monetarily incentivised wholesale removal of as many dogs as possible from one area.

Dog smugglers don't discriminate between pets and strays.

[julemanden]

With all the stray. unkept dogs that wander around on the sois of the major cities in Thailand (including the ones that sleep at the entrances of the Seven Elevens or along a sidewalk acting as a speed bump) I say it is good that these dogs are being picked off the streets. I don't care if they are being eaten as long as they are no longer around. This is an inexpensive way for the Thai government to expedite these uncared* four legged creatures. (Note: a "CARED" dog has the proper shots, is bathed, is given proper food daily, and is owned by a particular family and stays in their secure yard. Putting a colar on a dog and let it becomme a "community dog" is not being cared for)

And what if your 'cared' for dog is taken from your secure yard by some dog smugglers? What if the gate is left open and your dog goes wandering and is taken? You assume dog smugglers only take stray Soi dogs.

Most soi dogs are quite loving and friendly creatures and to see them packed in on top of each other in cramped cages is something I find distressing.

If Soi dogs are to be rounded up and sold off as food it needs to be done in a humane manner. In a way that doesn't promote monetarily incentivised wholesale removal of as many dogs as possible from one area.

Dog smugglers don't discriminate between pets and strays.

You are so right !

[Bakseedaa]

With all the stray. unkept dogs that wander around on the sois of the major cities in Thailand (including the ones that sleep at the entrances of the Seven Elevens or along a sidewalk acting as a speed bump) I say it is good that these dogs are being picked off the streets. I don't care if they are being eaten as long as they are no longer around. This is an inexpensive way for the Thai government to expedite these uncared* four legged creatures. (Note: a "CARED" dog has the proper shots, is bathed, is given proper food daily, and is owned by a particular family and stays in their secure yard. Putting a colar on a dog and let it becomme a "community dog" is not being cared for)

And what if your 'cared' for dog is taken from your secure yard by some dog smugglers? What if the gate is left open and your dog goes wandering and is taken? You assume dog smugglers only take stray Soi dogs.

Most soi dogs are quite loving and friendly creatures and to see them packed in on top of each other in cramped cages is something I find distressing.

If Soi dogs are to be rounded up and sold off as food it needs to be done in a humane manner. In a way that doesn't promote monetarily incentivised wholesale removal of as many dogs as possible from one area.

Dog smugglers don't discriminate between pets and strays.

Mmmmm... Yummee. a winalot dog...!

[OzMick]

With all the stray. unkept dogs that wander around on the sois of the major cities in Thailand (including the ones that sleep at the entrances of the Seven Elevens or along a sidewalk acting as a speed bump) I say it is good that these dogs are being picked off the streets. I don't care if they are being eaten as long as they are no longer around. This is an inexpensive way for the Thai government to expedite these uncared* four legged creatures. (Note: a "CARED" dog has the proper shots, is bathed, is given proper food daily, and is owned by a particular family and stays in their secure yard. Putting a colar on a dog and let it becomme a "community dog" is not being cared for)

If you were allowed to select the cow your beef was coming from, would you select an underourished, mangy, and diseased creature?

Why then are you assuming the dog traders are picking up soi dogs?

[teetersb]

In the 2 areas of Issan I frequent, there are people riding motorcycles with a trailer attached coming thru the villages buying dogs for the "food" trade. They come thru 1-2 times monthly. They usually only buy the healthy, young dogs for a price of about 200 baht, but will consider an older, thinner dog for a discount. I have not seen, or heard much about dog-napping although I'm sure it happens on occasion. What seems to be more common is for some of the teens to sell dogs that don't belong to them, but if they're caught the Pu Yai makes them pay up and apologize.

There is a stigma attached to "pets for food" in many of our (Foreign) cultures, but it is not so important here in Asia. I have no qualms about this, but if someone steals and/or sells one of these pets they should be punished, severely.

[samsiam]

if it cleans up the mongrel dog population...then I am all for canine cuisine.

[NanLaew]

With all the stray. unkept dogs that wander around on the sois of the major cities in Thailand (including the ones that sleep at the entrances of the Seven Elevens or along a sidewalk acting as a speed bump) I say it is good that these dogs are being picked off the streets. I don't care if they are being eaten as long as they are no longer around. This is an inexpensive way for the Thai government to expedite these uncared* four legged creatures. (Note: a "CARED" dog has the proper shots, is bathed, is given proper food daily, and is owned by a particular family and stays in their secure yard. Putting a colar on a dog and let it becomme a "community dog" is not being cared for)

If you were allowed to select the cow your beef was coming from, would you select an underourished, mangy, and diseased creature?

Why then are you assuming the dog traders are picking up soi dogs?

But... I am not allowed to select the beast from where the beef comes from; nobody is. Are you saying that the bits of mystery meat in my noodles is prime pork or beef?

I lived and worked in China and Vietnam and believe me, freezer burnt dog, cow or sheep meat is all the same. Just needs cooking different.

[OzMick]

With all the stray. unkept dogs that wander around on the sois of the major cities in Thailand (including the ones that sleep at the entrances of the Seven Elevens or along a sidewalk acting as a speed bump) I say it is good that these dogs are being picked off the streets. I don't care if they are being eaten as long as they are no longer around. This is an inexpensive way for the Thai government to expedite these uncared* four legged creatures. (Note: a "CARED" dog has the proper shots, is bathed, is given proper food daily, and is owned by a particular family and stays in their secure yard. Putting a colar on a dog and let it becomme a "community dog" is not being cared for)

If you were allowed to select the cow your beef was coming from, would you select an underourished, mangy, and diseased creature?

Why then are you assuming the dog traders are picking up soi dogs?

But... I am not allowed to select the beast from where the beef comes from; nobody is. Are you saying that the bits of mystery meat in my noodles is prime pork or beef?

I lived and worked in China and Vietnam and believe me, freezer burnt dog, cow or sheep meat is all the same. Just needs cooking different.

you need to get out (of the city) more. Us hicks get to choose what gets the chop.

[NanLaew]

In the 2 areas of Issan I frequent, there are people riding motorcycles with a trailer attached coming thru the villages buying dogs for the "food" trade. They come thru 1-2 times monthly. They usually only buy the healthy, young dogs for a price of about 200 baht, but will consider an older, thinner dog for a discount. I have not seen, or heard much about dog-napping although I'm sure it happens on occasion. What seems to be more common is for some of the teens to sell dogs that don't belong to them, but if they're caught the Pu Yai makes them pay up and apologize.

There is a stigma attached to "pets for food" in many of our (Foreign) cultures, but it is not so important here in Asia. I have no qualms about this, but if someone steals and/or sells one of these pets they should be punished, severely.

At the considerable risk of never obtaining Nirvana, I have called a chap in Sakon Nakhon to come over and pick up some agressive and noisy 'pets' from my soi in Udon. I recall I paid him 300 baht per. No fuel surcharge for four or more.

[OzMick]

In the 2 areas of Issan I frequent, there are people riding motorcycles with a trailer attached coming thru the villages buying dogs for the "food" trade. They come thru 1-2 times monthly. They usually only buy the healthy, young dogs for a price of about 200 baht, but will consider an older, thinner dog for a discount. I have not seen, or heard much about dog-napping although I'm sure it happens on occasion. What seems to be more common is for some of the teens to sell dogs that don't belong to them, but if they're caught the Pu Yai makes them pay up and apologize.

There is a stigma attached to "pets for food" in many of our (Foreign) cultures, but it is not so important here in Asia. I have no qualms about this, but if someone steals and/or sells one of these pets they should be punished, severely.

If the pu yai shows up with some kid and hands me the B200 the little rsole got for my dog, they will both be lucky to get away alive. If he gave you the money he received for selling your daughter into sexual slavery, would you consider that "fair enough".

[KKvampire]

A menace of thailand, dogs.

Where i live they go around in angry packs.fortunately after the floods quite a few went missing.now those left start breeding

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[KKvampire]

So you put dogs on a level with someones daughter? Says more about you than the issue

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[chinook]

Soi dogs.....part of the fun of living in Thailand.......but if you old farts can't handle it, go back to Germany or Sweden or where ever it is you come from.....I'm sure you'll find something to grumble about back home, ......like the rising price of sponge cake or something.

[fstarbkk]

Soi dogs.....part of the fun of living in Thailand.......but if you old farts can't handle it, go back to Germany or Sweden or where ever it is you come from.....I'm sure you'll find something to grumble about back home, ......like the rising price of sponge cake or something.

Well said chinook!

In the 10 years I have lived in Thailand, I have never felt seriously threatened by a soi dog. That's more than I can say for the human population, domestic and othehrwise. And even though I have met a few unpleasant people over the years, I wouldn't advocate rounding up whole neighborhoods to be eaten in some neighboring country as a solution.

[KKvampire]

British and mid 40,s lived here 5years .know many incidences of dog agression,but along with other falang I know,not the 2 previous out of touch posters,we have learned how to deal with the unrestrained animals,some of them suddenly dissappear:D:D

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[Gers1873]

No real issue with Soi dogs. Then again no issue with people eating dogs either as they provide anothere protein source. Tried dog once in China abd would not eat again mind you when in France I dodnt like horse meat much either.

[Oberkommando]

When I am back in Thailand I am off up to Nakhon Phanom for a bowl of dog-meat soup, it's a specialty there.

Has anyone visited Sakhon Nakhon to taste dog where it is a delicacy?

It amazes me how articles continue to admit these facts and try to accuse Vietnamese or other countries' demand as the problem for the dog-meat trade in Thailand.

[silsburyhill]

Soi dogs.....part of the fun of living in Thailand.......but if you old farts can't handle it, go back to Germany or Sweden or where ever it is you come from.....I'm sure you'll find something to grumble about back home, ......like the rising price of sponge cake or something.

Well said chinook!

In the 10 years I have lived in Thailand, I have never felt seriously threatened by a soi dog. That's more than I can say for the human population, domestic and othehrwise. And even though I have met a few unpleasant people over the years, I wouldn't advocate rounding up whole neighborhoods to be eaten in some neighboring country as a solution.

Soi dogs.....part of the fun of living in Thailand.......but if you old farts can't handle it, go back to Germany or Sweden or where ever it is you come from.....I'm sure you'll find something to grumble about back home, ......like the rising price of sponge cake or something.

Well said chinook!

In the 10 years I have lived in Thailand, I have never felt seriously threatened by a soi dog. That's more than I can say for the human population, domestic and othehrwise. And even though I have met a few unpleasant people over the years, I wouldn't advocate rounding up whole neighborhoods to be eaten in some neighboring country as a solution.

Well said! I've just returned from my tri daily walking of my two rescued soi dogs and happened to espy an obviously dressed Russian woman (old style dress/big hair - though nothing personal against Russians per se), who, having spotted my dogs happily trotting along the soi started to hide in the bloody shrubbery. 'They don't bite for Chrissakes!' 'I am afraid' she cried. Built like a brick shithouse she was too! 'Some dogs will sense your fear and try to intimidate you, just bloody ignore them!'

I've a feeling there're a LOT of ignorant wusses posting on this subject all too frequently also. Get a grip.

Oh, and by the way. When visiting a friend in PP, he was distraught his Golden Retriever had been nabbed. These people do not differentiate.

[xthAi76s]

Round em up, and either sell em to be eaten or pets or put em down. They are dirty, often diseased, polluting animals. Getting rid of them will help Thais move into the cleaner, safer, quieter, more pleasant future.

[nausea]

Soi dogs perform a useful function in Thai society, rather like the geese that saved Rome, get rid of the Soi dogs and the crime rate will probably triple. It also says something about Thailand, and Thai people, that you very rarely see a starving dog: Blake's "A Dog Starved at its Masters Gate, Foretells the Ruin of the State" springs to mind. If you have ever been down on your uppers in Thailand, you'll understand what I mean. OK, I know, you've got your Condo, and your pension, and your investments, so you'll never be in this situation - but then you'll never know the real Thailand will you. I've never had a problem with Soi dogs, it's all bark and no bite.They fear you, that's why they bark. You just need to be confident.I have two problems with the Korean (or Vietnamese, or Chinese) dog trade. The first is cultural. As an Englishman there are certain animals I don't regard as food material. They're just little furry people in my eyes (pathetic, I know, but there it is), each with it's own little personality. I can't sustain this argument - different cultures have different values. For example, I think rabbits here are considered pets and Thais don't eat rabbit, but I have no problem eating wild rabbit. The second is the cruelty involved. If you've got to kill something, OK do it, but do it in as humane a way as possible, Don't torture the poor creature cos it might cost you a small proportion of your profits or the adrenalin makes the flesh taste better. What's the word for someone who has no empathy with other living creatures - psychopath. My own solution to this whole problem would be neutering. It would solve two problems at the same time - overly aggresssive Soi dogs, and the dog population would dwindle to a manageable level. I don't see this happening, mostly cos the Thais just love taking care of that cute little puppy, before abandoning it at the Wat, when it has outlived cuteness potential. How someone can abandon their little friend is beyond me, but then I'm back to the cultural thing.

[Beetlejuice]

Do you have any idea how these dogs suffer, the brutality of the way they are handled and the barbaric way these dogs are slaughtered? I don`t even want to think about it.

I firmly lay the blame of the people that let their dogs run amuck on the streets, breed at will and creating thousands of unwanted, uncared for pups. Even where I live we see scores on puppies roaming the sois and the fields. They forage for food around the areas where the locals dump their trash and basically left to care for themselves. Most die anyway and never reach adulthood. A pitiful site to see.

It is extremely cheap to have a dog neutered in Thailand, and most Government owned animal hospitals will do this service for free. Yet, many are just too lazy and cannot be bothered. What it requires is education to the people and campaigns such as TV advisories and so on.

But no one is interested and so the sufferings of these dogs continue. This is the same all over South East Asia because they are simply not animal loving nations.

Without proper enforced animal welfare and protection laws imposed by the Governments than nothing will change.

[seafarer]

I agree with most of the posts on this topic, however, there are literally hundreds of stray dogs that wander around in packs in most areas and these can be quite menacing, especially at night. Who knows if they are rabid are not ? They wander across roads stupidly and cause accidents not to mention the dog shit they leave all over the place causing diseases to spread. Quite disgusting really and nothing is done because it is Thailand......the Mai Pen Rai culture.

If Nothing is done about the increasing masses of dogs it will start to put tourists off visiting Thailand. If dog smugglers are prepared to round them up and sell them to whoever in China, Burma, Laos, Cambodia then so be it. If they did this in the Bangkok districts, they would be providing a service. Perhaps they could go to Petchaheung Road in Phrapadeang, Samutprakarn where they would fill several lorry loads in one day. Such is the abundance of stray dogs in that area.....all mangy and half dead. Let the Chinese have them and lets clean up the streets of Thailand. Time the Thai Govt introduced dog licenses in order to restrict ownership and abandonment.

[chinook]

British and mid 40,s lived here 5years .know many incidences of dog agression,but along with other falang I know,not the 2 previous out of touch posters,we have learned how to deal with the unrestrained animals,some of them suddenly dissappear:D:D

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5 years.....you get your sponge cake sent from England then?

[Oberkommando]

5 years.....you get your sponge cake sent from England then?

I've been here 28 years and still import my sponge cake.

[chinook]

5 years.....you get your sponge cake sent from England then?

I've been here 28 years and still import my sponge cake.

Bowl of dog soup rounded off with a slice of German sponge cake...........you people eat horses too,,,,,,,

[metisdead]

A post containing a video of animal cruelty acts has been removed.

[metisdead]

An inflammatory post on moderation issues has been removed.