Cat found abandoned at temple in Songkhla

A CCTV camera captured a man and a woman on a motorcycle with a sidecar abandoning a cat in a sack at a temple in Songkhla. The Hope Songkhla urges the owner to help find it, as abandoning animals is illegal.

A report from Songkhla detailed footage from a surveillance camera showing two individuals on a three-wheeled motorcycle, likely scrap collectors, dropping off a cat at the gate of Municipal School 3, next to Koh Hong Temple, at 10pm on Sunday, August 25. The frightened cat, chased by a pack of dogs, jumped over the school fence. The school also has resident dogs, further adding to the cat’s distress.

Today, Somkid Buhngachart, President of The Hope Songkhla, and Wittaya Klangwang, Director of Municipal School 3, along with teachers, inspected the area where the cat was left but found no signs of it. It is believed the cat fled in fear of the dogs. Two days have passed without any information on the cat’s whereabouts or condition.

Wittaya noted that this isn’t the first time animals have been abandoned at Koh Hong Temple and the adjacent school. From the CCTV footage, it was clear that the individuals showed no concern for the cat’s well-being, recklessly leaving it to face potential harm or death. Abandoning animals in this manner leads to a high risk of them being attacked or killed by resident dogs.

Somkid emphasised that this case should serve as the final example of why animals should not be abandoned at temples. The only outcomes for these animals are death or severe injury due to attacks from local dogs. The Hope Songkhla is ready to find new homes for abandoned animals, but the current fate of the cat remains unknown.

She further stressed that abandoning animals is a clear violation of the Animal Protection Act, punishable by a fine of 40,000 baht. If the abandoned animal dies, it falls under the Animal Cruelty Act, which carries the same fine and a potential two-year imprisonment.

The Hope Songkhla and Municipal School 3 urge the owner to come forward and assist in locating the cat, as it would likely respond better to someone it is familiar with, reported KhaoSod.