Live dogs, cats found stuffed in tied sacks
Twelve live dogs and two cats were found stuffed in fertiliser sacks on the back of a parked pickup truck in Muang district of Samut Prakan early yesterday.
Police and rescuers were called to the entrance of Klang Muang housing estate in tambon Dan Samrong about 1am.
There they found 10 sacks left in the back of the pickup parked near a wastewater treatment pond, said Pol Lt Col Uthit Sudjai, investigation chief at Samrong Nua police station.
The sacks were tied tightly, while distressed cries from the dogs and cats came from them intermittently.
When they were opened rescuers found 12 dogs and two cats in the sacks. The animals looked exhausted and weak.
Nearby residents quickly brought water, milk and food for the rescued animals.
Pathipan Thaiyakorn, 22, who found the animals, said he went to see a friend at the housing estate and stopped his car near the parked truck around 5pm on Tuesday.
He heard animal noises at the time but assumed they were coming from an area behind the wastewater facility. He paid no more attention and went to visit his friend.
When he returned to his vehicle late on Tuesday night he again heard the cries of dogs and cats in distress and started looking to see where they came from.
He quickly realised they were coming from the sacks on the pickup and immediately called police.
Rescuers took the 14 distressed animals to a temporary shelter in Samut Prakan. An animal welfare organisation in Chon Buri reportedly plans to care for them.
Police said the pickup owner might not have anything to do with the animals. According to local residents it had been parked there for a long time. Someone might have dumped the sacks with the animals in them in the back of the vehicle and left.
Investigators were viewing footage from security cameras to find out when the animals were dumped, and by whom. Whoever was responsible would face legal action.