Hundreds of dogs rescued last month in Thailand from being smuggled to Vietnam as food have died of malnutrition and diseases, media reports said today.
Of the 1,800 canines saved by Thai police from a dog trafficking ring on August 12 from being smuggled to restaurants across the border, only 863 have survived their rescue, The Nation newspaper reported.
Thai veterinarian Jakraporn Suwattanachao said that many of the dogs, being kept in an animal shelter in Nakhon Phanom, 600 kilometres north-east of Bangkok, had succumbed to malnutrition and common canine diseases such as distemper.
Although the well-publicized plight of the dogs raised 20.7 million baht (69,000 dollars) from the Thai public, only 611,270 baht had been spent on cleaning their cages, building new ones and providing food and medical supplies, Jakraporn said.
Many of the rescued canines refused to eat the dry dog food and biscuits bought with donations, because they were accustomed to a rice diet, she said.
Dealing in dog meat is a long established trade in Nakorn Phanom.
Dogs destined for Vietnam can fetch between 500 and 1,000 baht (17 to 34 dollars) a head in Thailand, where the populace is generally averse to eating dog meat.
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