The Sikhiu Provincial Court initially sentenced Pannawit, 35, to a fine of B20,000 for animal cruelty after public prosecutors filed the case against the dog owner on Wednesday, reports the Bangkok Post.
The amount of the fine was reduced to B10,000 due to his confession. There was no jail term. The surname of the abusive dog owner was not disclosed, Watchdog Thailand Foundation said when posting the court’s ruling on its Facebook page on Thursday.
An uproar among netizens occurred after a video clip showed him dragging the dog, tied to his bike, along the road in front of Pak Chong Municipality on Tuesday. The dog was rescued by a female motorist. The clip, which went viral online, was posted by Facebook user Charuwan Phuangkham.
Pannawit had had a quarrel with his boyfriend before he used a rope to tie his four-month-old dog to his motorcycle and dragged the animal along the road for over 600 metres. A female motorist who saw the incident intervened and asked him to stop his bike.
A representative from Watchdog Thailand Foundation later filed a complaint with Pak Chong police against the dog owner for animal cruelty.
Pannawit was summoned to the police station and he admitted to having dragged the dog. He said he was enraged following the quarrel with his boyfriend.