Owner of 2 unsupervised pit bulls warned by mayor

An unidentified owner of two pit bulls who reportedly allows them to wander freely near a public beach in the Bangsaen area of Pattaya has received a warning from Sane Suk Mayor Narongchai “Tui” Khunplome. making statements through his public relations accounts on social media and in local news outlets, the mayor stated that he had received multiple complaints from residents about the two pit bulls wandering around. They feared for the safety of the children and elderly people in the area, wanting to avoid attacks after the recent death of a pit bull owner who was mauled to death by his own pet. Residents also mentioned the possibility of a car or motorbike crash injuring or killing the pit bulls and possibly people.

The dogs were originally thought to be strays but were later determined to have an owner who allows them to wander freely, unaccompanied by a leash or any supervision. Local law forbids pets to be in public without an owner and also requires that owners clean up any droppings that their pets leave.

The owner of these pit bulls was singled out but not name publicly. The dogs were not reported to have attacked anyone or been aggressive in any way and the majority of complaints were just concerned citizens. The mayor’s post on social media garnered 900 responses both for and against the wandering pit bulls and received more than 7000 likes.

Stray animals are a common problem in Thailand and around the Pattaya area. It is feared that the Covid-19 pandemic created more abandoned animals as people moved out of Chon Buri. Many strays have settled into areas vacated by tourists, and several areas around Pattaya are dealing with the surge in stray animals, especially Banglamung.

It is against Thailand’s religious and cultural beliefs to put down strays, but there’s a lot of debate over a solution. Soi Dog Foundation advocates for spaying or neutering animals and also vaccinating them before releasing them back into their natural habitat. This avoids animal shelters where conditions can become inhumane due to overcrowding, and also may prevent more aggressive dogs from claiming local territories. It is agreed that aggressive dogs should be removed from the public.

SOURCE: The Pattaya News