Legal Measures for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals :a Case Study of Transnational Dog Trafficking

Abstract

Humans have been very familiar with dogs for a long time. People have treated dogs as their pets for longer than 12,000 years. This is because of their smart, loyal, patient, strong qualifications. They also have good eyesight and smelling ability. That is why dogs are trusted to be responsible in many jobs such as security , bomb scan, drugs scan, shepherd, stuff drag, disaster victims assistance However, there are some groups of people who are in favor of dog meat. This popularity causes dog trafficking which exports both alive dogs and dog meat to neighbouring countries, As a result, many of people who love dogs counter dog consumption against all business of dog export. The counter – dog trafficking groups conceive that the dog trafficking is very cruel because dogs are pets which are different from other animals. Basically a pet is like a friend of human, it is not for being food. Considering all provisions of Thai law relating to the counter- animal maltreatment and trafficking, only articles 381 and 382, in the petty crimes part of the criminal code are involved, but they are not efficient enough to protect abused or maltreated animals. Although The Prevention of the Cruelty to Animal and Welfare to Animal Act of B.E. 2557 is under the drafting process, there are some subjects which should be amended especially measures for penalty. However this can show a progress of the Act. Moreover an issue of the expenses for taking care of alive dogs and animals should be defined clearly and completely as they cannot be stored as a thing during the case proceedings.