Animal Cruelty – Dog Poisoning on Koh Phangan Island!
On Monday night, the 22nd of December, I witnessed the most disturbing display of anti-Buddhism, animal cruelty I have seen in all my travels. The word on the street was that the government of Koh Phangan ordered a cull of dogs by means of poisoning.
Two trucks, one full of people to do the ‘deed’ and one full with at least 40 dead dogs circled Thong Sala from about 10 p.m. until 1 a.m. The man that seemed to be in charge of this execution is recognized as the driver of the islands rubbish collection and according to the locals, he has complained about the dogs tipping the rubbish bins. I have been a tourist on this island for nearly a year and in that time I have gotten know most of the dogs in Thong Sala. They are all friendly, calm in nature, healthy, vaccinated, neutered to prevent further population growth and were causing no harm to anyone.
If the rubbish bins have been tipped it is only because they have been offered as a grand food source, all overflowing and exposed making them an easy target for a hungry animal. All countries are faced with the nuisance of animals getting into rubbish bins. There are several solutions to keeping the animals out of the trash without killing mass amounts of healthy dogs. This is obviously a case of laziness and lack of creativity in the mind of whoever is behind this!
The poison attack has taken place now in Chaloklum and Thong Sala. Please keep your dogs inside!
Ironiclly the dog in the photo is the culprit that has been biting people on motorbikes in front of A’s coffee shop for two years now…. Sorry I’m not sympathetic to the cause, I do agree though that a better system needs to be thought out. These poisoned baits don’t just kill dogs on the Island of Koh Phangan…
There are not only goverment sponsored killings here on the Island. A few Bungalow places also doing their part in this awful killing spree. Namely I know ‘Rainbow View’ Bunglow killing dogs around Sri Thanu with rat poision. Please dont support these people by staying at their bunglow place. Many Islanders are very cruel to animals, my dog lost nearly a leg a half year ago, because someone hit him with a a big knife.
Not to burst your bubble but the dog in the photo is only about 10 months old and lives in front of the fried vegetable stall…. Hmm, do you think that there might be more than one brown thai dog on the island?? Here is the more important point, these dogs were indiscriminantly killed because of pure laziness and ignorance. And what the hell difference does it make if it was the dog that you are thinking of, how many other 59 dogs piled in the back of the truck had never bit anyone!???
Koh pan gan is a dirty dump, full of greedy people who don’t care about their enviroment or animals. And a 7 11, what the hell is that doing there? If this keeps up no one will want to go to this polluted island. I was on Koh pan gan in 1994, and it is much different than it was, sadly I can’t say it is better.
Absolutely nothing justifies the killing of animals in this manner, and quite frankly the attitude exhibited by this ‘contributor’ (if it could be said to be a ‘contribution’ at all) is beyond my comprehension. Compassion was a fundamental value that I found severely lacking in many people there. I recently returned home to New Zealand from my first holiday to Asia, to Thailand (including visits to Koh Samui and Koh Phangan) absolutely disgusted with the way animals were treated by people in that country (they don’t show that in the glossy travel brochures!!) and had absolutely no hesitation in venting my anger at locals whom I saw ill treating cats and dogs. Having witnessed the cruelty that I did see there I have been strongly discouraging friends, colleagues and family from visiting Thailand (whom I know would be upset by the animals’ plight).
Thailand’s only saving grace in regards to this matter was that I managed to find several animal rescue shelters. I was so profoundly affected by what I saw that I will be contributing to these agencies from thousands of miles away.
Renee
New Zealand
I dislike all cruelty, agaist men and animal, and i will always try to shoose for solution in wish unneccecery spilling of live can be prevented.
I traveled many asain countries and ofcourse you can not compare the love for dogs that is common in some wester countries to the relation that thai people have with this creatures.
Ofcourse are ‘wild’ dogs diffucult to live with. But on a small island like this it would surely be not so difficult to register al dogs and to give birthcontrol for the dogs who are wanted dogs, so that no new unrigistered dogs are born, and if carbage cans are opened, the owners of the dogs can clean up the mess themself.
But ofcourse that would mean no more “puppies for christmas”, and is a puppy not still the best way to attract a western toerist in your horica?
No easy solutions for a difficult problem…
ICAN JUST SAY ALL THE DOGS IS NOT HARMLESS I WAS BITE TWICE BY THIS INNOCENT DOGS. I AM GLAD IF PEOPLE CANT LOOK AFTER THEIR ANIMALS THEN IT IS BETTER FOR THEM TO BE PUT ASLEEP. THEY WANDER IN THE STREETS SEEKING FOOD AND MOST OF THEM HAS SKINDECEASE . IT WAS ABOUT TIME TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE DOGS . ONE OF OUR FRIENDS WAS SERIOSLY INJURED BY ONE OF THESE DOG RUNNING IN FRONT OF HIS MOTORCYCLE. THANK YOU THAT THE LOCAL GOVERMENT TAKE THE TOURIST OF THE ISLAND IN CONSIDERATION.