(Thailand) Draft law on animal welfare finished

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Draft law on animal welfare finished

Bangkok Post

ANJIRA ASSAVANONDA

August 19, 2006

 

A draft of what is said to be the country's first legislation against

cruelty to animals was introduced to the public yesterday. The Animal

Welfare and Torture Prevention Bill was initiated by the Thai Society for

the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (TSPCA) and Mahidol University's

faculty of veterinary science, with support from the Lawyers Council of

Thailand.

 

TSPCA director Sawan Sangbunlung said the country is in need of a

comprehensive law to promote animal welfare and prevent cruelty to animals.

 

He said the law will serve as a crucial mechanism to solve the problem of

cruelty to animals in the country.

 

''Despite animal rescue operations by several public and private

organisations, we found that problems still exist and animals continue to be

tortured in various forms,'' Mr Sawan said, adding that this is because of

the lack of an effective law.

 

''The only enforced legislation at the moment is the criminal law which

imposes very light penalties, a maximum of a 1,000-baht fine and one-month

imprisonment, for all forms of animal torture. That's not enough,'' he said.

 

Assoc Prof Panthep Ratanakorn, dean of the faculty of veterinary science at

Mahidol University, said the new law was aimed at setting a norm for the

proper treatment of animals, to ensure that humans and animals live together

in balanced circumstances.

 

The dean said the law will cover all kinds of animals including wildlife,

zoo animals, pets, and those raised for consumption, lab use or

entertainment.

 

''In raising pets, for example, we must ensure they are fed properly and

raised in a fair environment. Also, animals raised for consumption must be

treated kindly. The places they stay in must not be congested, and the

method used to slaughter them must be the least painful,'' he said.

 

Under the new law, animal welfare committees will be established at national

and provincial levels.

 

The national committee, to be chaired by the agriculture minister, will

supervise policy and planning for animal protection and welfare, while the

provincial committees will oversee the implementation of the law in their

areas of jurisdiction.

 

For the first time, the law gives definitions of animal torture, including

beating, burning, forcing them to work or neglecting them when they are old

or sick, raising animals in tight spaces, eating live animals, and forcing

them to fight each other.

 

Violators of the law will face penalties ranging from a jail term of between

six months and five years, and a fine of 10,000-100,000 baht depending on

the severity of the offences.

 

The law authorises the chief of the Livestock Development Department to

endorse the establisment of animal welfare centres nationwide, and

provincial governors to do so in their provinces.

 

It also permits the registration of local and international organisations

working for animal welfare, allowing them to assist state officials in

implementing the law.

 

A fund to support animal welfare and protection activities will be

established. Funding will come from various sources including state

subsidies, fees collected from the animal industry, public donations,

service fees, and legal fines.

 

Jesada Anucharee, of the Lawyers Council of Thailand, said the working group

is considering a channel to propose the law.

 

He said a campaign to collect 50,000 signatures is possible but would be

time-consuming. ''The other channel is to seek support from relevant

government agencies, such as the Livestock Development Department under the

Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry. If the department agrees to back the

law, it will be easier to propose the legislation through the ministry.''

 

Charal Trinvuthipong, assistant to the agriculture minister, said the

ministry has its own version of the animal welfare law, which is being

adjusted in certain areas.

 

''I suggest that both sides meet to discuss the similarities and differences

between the two drafts, and see if they can be merged,'' he said

 

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/19Aug2006_news17.php

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Thai Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals:

 

http://www.thaispca.org/index.php

..........................................

Phuket Animal Welfare Society:

 

PAWS (Phuket Animal Welfare Society) is a fully licensed and registered

foundation with the long term objective of reducing the stray dog and cat

populations here in Phuket and helping to educate the local population in

effective and humane animal management.

 

http://www.phuket-animal-welfare.com/

..........................................

Soi Dog Foundation, Phuket:

 

Soi Dog Foundation is a not-for-profit, legally registered charitable

organization, based in Phuket, Thailand, with the aim to reduce the number

of unwanted dogs and cats and to better the lives and living conditions of

the street and stray dogs and feral cats in Thailand.

 

http://www.soidog.org/

http://abc.soidogrescue.org/achievements.html

========================================

A Buddhist lesson in pet care

by Eric Beauchemin,

Radio Netherlands,

February 3, 2006

Chiang Mai, Thailand

 

It's estimated that there are between 60,000 and 100,000 stray dogs and cats

in Chiang Mai, Thailand's second largest city. Many of them have been dumped

by their owners because they are suffering from disease or the owners can no

longer take care of them.

 

These strays roam the city's streets or are left at one of Chiang Mai's many

Buddhist temples, where people hope the animals will be taken care of. But

the stray animal population is growing so quickly that the monks and nuns

can no longer cope.

 

Two and a half years ago, a group of Westerners and Thais set up the Lanna

Dog Rescue Project. The volunteers go around the city and visit temples to

collect sick animals. They then take them to one of the local vets for

treatment.

 

They also have the animals sterilised to try to reduce the population of

stray dogs and cats. After being treated, animals in need of additional care

are taken to a shelter where they remain until they have recovered. Then the

volunteers take the animals back to the temples.

 

Metta

 

It may seem rather strange in a relatively poor country like Thailand to be

paying so much attention to cats and dogs, but according to Roshan

Dhunjiboy, it has to do with Buddhist philosophy. " There's a principle

called metta which means love for every single living thing, from a blade of

grass to your husband or your lover. And I think we are practising metta, at

least I am as a Buddhist. "

 

Many people drop their pets off at Buddhist temples because they believe

that the grounds are sacred and that is where metta is being practised.

According to Otome Klein, another of the group's volunteers: " People who

live near temples know that if they give the dogs or cats to the monks and

nuns, they will probably be taken care of. But nowadays there are simply too

many animals, many of them sick, arriving at the temples. "

 

Putting animals to sleep

 

The animal owners cannot put their pets to sleep because it goes against one

of the main precepts of Buddhism: though shall not kill. " We have great

difficulty, " says Dhunjiboy.

 

" When we have very sick animals to even find a vet who will do it. We had

the case of a darling little puppy called Ton who had cerebral distemper and

was suffering for five months, and we wanted to put him down, but the

monastery wouldn't do it, and so he died naturally just a month ago. "

 

Many of the volunteers joined the project because of their love for animals.

Half of them are Westerners and the other half are Thais. The volunteers are

able to raise about 100,000 Baht - that's a little over €2000 - a month. The

money is spent on the medical costs, a shelter, vet care and neutering the

animals.

 

Why not use the money to help poor Thais?

 

It's a question which the volunteers frequently hear, says Dhunjiboy.

" Actually we are doing both because through this work with animals, we get

to see the poor people who are otherwise invisible. The animals we deal with

are the animals in temples, the animals on the streets, and the animals of

poor people. You will find people in the slums here who have about eight

children and about 11 dogs. And they all are hungry and they are all not

looked after, so we help them by helping the animals and they love their

animals. We teach them how to keep them healthy and clean and the children I

think profit from that too in the end. "

 

Since the project started two and a half years ago, the volunteers have been

getting increasing support from local people. " We never do anything without

the permission of the community, " says Dhunjiboy.

 

" Because the communities are very well organised around the temples. For

instance we had a mass sterilisation project just last month where we

sterilized in four days 103 dogs and cats, and that was arranged by the

community. They completely arranged it for us. We just brought the doctors.

The more you involve them in this, the more they begin to realise that this

is something beneficial for themselves and not only for us or for the

animals, but for the whole community. "

 

Even the poor

 

More and more Thais, even poor people, are trying to help these animals.

Some of them go around on bicycles and feed up to 100 dogs a day! " They boil

rice, " says Klein, " they go around with a big pot mixed with some chicken

meat and they distribute it every day in this stall or maybe in that little

temple. " Dhunjiboy, who comes from Pakistan, finds it amazing. " You will

find sick dogs here in Thailand, but you will hardly ever find a starving

dog, the way you will find in India or Pakistan. People feed them. They may

feed them badly because they have nothing else than pure rice to give them,

but they will feed them. I think there is a basis there in Buddhism and this

is one of the expressions of it. We have to care. "

 

http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=1,2273,0,0,1,0

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Lanna Dog Rescue:

 

Our team of Lanna Dog Rescue wants to improve the situation of the stray

dogs in Chiang Mai / northern Thailand. Sick and destitute dogs wander the

streets, are neglected, poisoned or dumped in temples. When they get sick,

they often die painfully. Something should be done about stray dogs and they

should be given a life. We are ready to accept responsibility to try to

manage the stray dog problem in a kind and humane way. We organize:

 

- sterilisations to avoid further offspring

- medical care / vaccinations

- rescue for dogs in need

- finding new homes for dogs

 

http://www.lannadog.net/en/index.php