“#My beloved Molly, you are no longer hurt and suffering. #My Molly had fought a good fight and now it’s time for an eternal rest,” owner Tonlew Yanika posted on her Facebook page.
“Everyone fought for you until the end,” she said.
Pet lovers and fans also posted farewell messages to the dog and her owners, reports the Bangkok Post. “You are on a long journey to a star where all good people stay and no one will hurt you again,” a follower named Phan Thi Wa wrote.
The sad news came just a day after His Majesty the King had accepted her as a patient under royal patronage. Her death took place just hours before she would be taken by a Royal Thai Air Force plane from Wing 56 in Songkhla’s Muang district for treatment in Bangkok from the animal hospital of Prince of Songkhla University in Hat Yai district.
Molly went missing from her home in Muang district on Feb 12. She was later found with severe burns over most of her body three days later. She was believed to be doused with petrol by someone, who set her on fire before Feb 15.
An examination at a local veterinary clinic indicated she had suffered severe level-5 burns, that muscle tissue was damaged and her injuries had turned septic.
Her owners registered a complaint at Muang police station with assistance from Watchdog Thailand Foundation as ouraged social media users called for harsh punishment to deter such acts of cruelty.
Molly will be cremated at Wat Laem Por on Koh Yor in Muang district and her remains will be dispersed into Songkhla Lake after the ceremony, Somchai Chanawanno, a co-owner, said.