MAN VERSUS DOG
Last week, a concerned father took to Facebook asking for justice for his seven-yearold daughter who was bitten by a stray dog. The incident took place on Koh Samui and the girl was immediately taken to hospital where she received injections to prevent tetanus and rabies. A big gash on her thigh meant she had to miss the first week of school.
“I can’t hurt a dog because it is against the law. But once a dog hurts a human, where can I ask for help? Who is going to take responsibility?” Denchai Meedech, the girl’s father, reportedly said. “It’s not just my daughter. Others could be bitten by a dog, too.”
The Thai relationship with stray dogs treads on a complex line of love-hate and moral dilemma. There are animal lovers who feel compassionate towards the four-legged creatures. People fight for their right to live, to be, to exist. It’s the law of the country that no unnecessary suffering should befall them at the hands of a human, according to the Prevention of Animal Cruelty and Provision of Animal Welfare Act 2014.
But there are those, like Denchai, who have had bad experiences with strays and think they are pests — a nuisance nobody wants. Denchai’s case is not the first and definitely won’t be the last, as the incidents of stray dogs biting children happen often.
At the beginning of the month, an eight-year-old was bitten by a dog in Chon Buri. She required 30 stitches on her face and her angry father asked around for the dog’s owner. However, no one came forward even though a few people were known to feed the dog regularly. Like Denchai, the father asked for legal justice, though it was much to no avail.
When incidents like these happen, it’s almost impossible to stop people from pointing fingers. First, they blame the dogs. Second, they blame the people — the culprits that unknowingly cause trouble with their good intentions by feeding the mutts and hence keep their population alive and thriving.
Last week, a sign was found within the revered Wat Suthat in Phra Nakorn district displaying a curse aimed at people leaving food for dogs and cats in the monastery, as well as those who abandon their pets there.
“I ask for filthy things to come into the lives of these people and their family members,” reads the sign. To those abandoning their pets, the sign wishes for them to be abandoned by their loved ones in return. “If you’re not happy with this, go make merit at other temples. We don’t need people who offer kindness to animals but are making the temple grounds dirty. If you’re really merciful, take these animals home,” the sign concludes. It is signed by the monastery’s assistant abbot.
Many are less than thrilled that a monk would start putting jinxes on people. But, when we consider that the temple has about 400 abandoned animals living within its 25-rai historic grounds, this monastic curse may not sound too absurd. The temple reportedly hires 20 people daily to get rid of the dog and cat waste. There have been incidents in which monks and people have been attacked by the animals, medical bills of which are paid for by the temple.
In this whole predicament, there are animal lives at stakes and the safety and well-being of people. Yet, no middle ground has been reached. Dog lovers refuse to budge and continue to feed the strays. There are others advocating for the animals’ better treatment. At the same time, some abandon their once-beloved pets like an old shoe they no longer need. And then there are people being negatively affected by it all.
What is an ideal solution? The government has been trying to control the population of stray dogs and cats by offering free neutering services, plus rabies vaccines. Some dogs are sent to a crowded shelter where they will most likely wither away in captivity until they die — all to make sure they won’t roam the streets and cause problems to passers-by.
Is this the best we can do? Is it time that we put a regulation in place, as a companion to our animal protection bill? Pet registration, maybe? Raising awareness and a good public education won’t hurt either. But it will take everyone to come to the same understanding. It is time we acknowledge that this is a problem that needs to be solved with a humane approach.
Must we wait for the day when the problem escalates to violence before we can finally take a step? And again, we will start pointing fingers without considering that perhaps everyone is part of the problem.