Prosecutor to seek harsher penalty for dog attacker

[Thaivisa News]

Bangkok: – The Office of the Attorney General is preparing to appeal the sentencing of a convicted dog attacker, saying the initial penalty was too light.

OAG deputy spokesman KosolwatInthuchanyong said public prosecutors would seek an appellate review to impose actual imprisonment instead of a suspended jail time.

In the first judicial decision after the law against animal cruelty came into effect last month, the NongKhai Provincial Court found KhamdeeKottha, 50, guilty of assaulting a dog.

The court sentenced Khamdee to serve one month in jail and to pay a Bt2,000 fine. After citing grounds for leniency, the imprisonment was suspended for one year.

Kosolwat said prosecutors would argue that the suspended punishment was not in proportion with the wrongdoing.

Khamdee used a knife to slash the dog in the face which needed 100 stitches, he said.

The attack made grievous bodily harm and the dog had no history of being ferocious, he said.

The convict admitted he thought the dog might attack his free-range chicken but there was no justification for the knife-wielding chase after the wounded dog. He was restrained by the dog’s owner before making further attack.

The prosecutors argued that the intent of punishing for animal cruelty was to deter unjustified, unprovoked attacks that humans inflicted on animals.

Factual evidence of the case in question showed that the convict had attacked the dog on the whims and that he had no cause like self-defence to justify his action.

Under the new law, the offence on animal cruelty is penalised by up to one-year imprisonment and a fine of up to Bt40, 000.

[HeijoshinCool]

Good for the prosector; 40k, and a year picking up the soap in the shower, sounds about right for what he did.

On the other hand, 2000 baht for injuring a dog (that survived), is twice what the driver had to pay for running over and killing two (foreign) cyclists last year.

But then, the dog was Thai.

[masuk]

I wonder what owners have to pay when one of their dogs attacks someone - Thai or non-Thai.

[dahinni]

like that

[marquisdesade]

I love dogs don't get me wrong but I think the prosecutor should worry about harsher penaties for politicians and police found to be corrupt.

[siam2007]

Dogs that have not been trained properly at professional dog training schools should not be allowed to roam around without leashes. But I know this is unrealistic as Thais (and most Asians) even refuse to "train" their own kids.....

[wabothai]

I thought that the prosecuters were too busy with other things, like prosecuting corrupt officials. Guess not.

[Thaiready]

Spay and nueter all cats and dogs here. Too include Politicians.

[sweatalot]

I agree with the prosecutor.

But he should take care that punishment for attacking humans should not be less than those for attacking dogs.

[maidee]

keep ur dog behind your house gate, never problem

but irresponsible thais, lot's of them, everywhere

and when he bites : not my dog

[Tatsujin]

I wonder what owners have to pay when one of their dogs attacks someone - Thai or non-Thai.

Nothing ... cos it's a "soi" dog ... it might be housed, fed, watered and somewhat cared for by a Thai, but they won't claim ownership of it in most cases, especially if it's attacked someone.

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

clear signs of a true psychopath. Just a matter of time until he moves on to humans if he hasn't already done so. This is exactly the type of scum that prisons were designed for. Too bad the rich psychopaths in this country never get to find out what prison is like though.

[cup-O-coffee]

I'll buy in to all of this, but only as long as this prosecutor enlists someone to go out to all the dogs and inform them of the rights that humans have when they are exercising their right to enjoy public places. Furthermore, I would like to see dogs penalized for crapping and urinating in public, as well as destroying public property. There should also be a push to curb canine pregnancies and social diseases among dog populations. Maybe even create a task force to probe and crack down on Dog Gang violence and start rounding up the key canines responsible for terrorizing neighborhoods. The USA has blacks. Thailand has its dogs. What I mean is that the anti-human discrimination is on the same level as anti-white discrimination, and just as ludicrous.

[Keesters]

Dogs that have not been trained properly at professional dog training schools should not be allowed to roam around without leashes. But I know this is unrealistic as Thais (and most Asians) even refuse to "train" their own kids.....

Trained or not a dog should not be allowed to roam around on public land, streets etc. Even if it does not injury somebody it shits and pisses and that is enough reason for it not to be there.

[GinBoy2]

If only the evil dog shooter had been 'sick', unable to go to the police station, then went on 'vacation' to Singapore to wait out statute of limitations...Oh wait, thats only if you kill a policemen by dragging him down the road with your Ferrari...silly me!