Raised well but ended up killing them?…Thailand in uproar over man abusing 4 pet dogs

Man Who Adopted and Ate 4 Dogs
Animal Welfare Group "Stricter Punishment Needed"
Movement to End Dog Meat Consumption in Korea

A man in Thailand adopted four pet dogs and then killed and ate them all. Thai PBS website

A man in Thailand has caused a stir after adopting four pet dogs and then eating them.

On the 17th (local time), according to the Thai local media The Nation, police in Chiang Rai Province in the northwest charged the man with animal cruelty for slaughtering and eating his pet dogs. The man reportedly adopted a dog named "Sushi" recently and then ate it. He had promised the previous owner to keep them updated on Sushi's condition after adoption, but when contacted, he failed to properly respond about the dog's well-being. This raised suspicion, and the previous owner eventually caught him.

In the police investigation, the man claimed, "Sushi had behavioral problems, and since I couldn't find another home to adopt him, I had no choice but to kill and eat him." However, further investigation revealed that he had also slaughtered and eaten three other dogs he had adopted in the past in the same manner. Under Thai law, if convicted, the man could face up to two years in prison and a fine of 40,000 baht (approximately 1.61 million KRW). The animal welfare organization "Thai Watchdog Foundation" urged for stricter penalties for animal cruelty in response to this case and also advised that people who give away pets should more thoroughly verify the identity of those wishing to adopt.

Meanwhile, in September, a family of three Vietnamese nationals who illegally entered Hong Kong were sentenced to prison for selling dog meat. According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the three set up an unlicensed restaurant in an apartment in Mong Kok, a busy area in Hong Kong, and made money by selling dog and cat dishes. They reportedly claimed, "Since we came from Vietnam, we did not know that selling this meat was illegal in Hong Kong." In Hong Kong, slaughtering and selling dogs and cats for food is prohibited, and violators can face up to six months in prison.

In South Korea, efforts to end dog meat consumption continue. According to the "Special Act on Ending the Breeding, Slaughter, Distribution, etc. of Dogs for Food Purposes," enacted in February, from February 7, 2027, breeding, slaughtering, distributing, or selling dogs for food purposes will be prohibited. Additionally, related businesses must mandatorily close or cease operations by the prohibition date.