Witnesses have reported that they earlier saw the well-known dogs suffer from what seemed to be poisoning.
The news came to the fore today (Sept 5) whenlong term resident and Managing Director of Shine Pr Natasha Eldred filed a complaint with the Thalang Police.
The four dogs had been found dead of unnatural causes, while three other puppies and two dogs remain missing, Ms Eldred told The Phuket News.
“On August 25, I found that many dogs had disappeared. Staffers from Soi Dog Foundation and I began searching for them,” Ms Eldred explained to police.
“On August 30, four dogs’ bodies were found in the rubber tree forest about 30 to 50 metres from where we used to feed them. They had burns on their bodies.
“However, there were also witnesses that saw the dogs dying of what was likely to be poisoning,” she said.
The four dogs had been dumped at the Ban Bang Niew Dam site around March 2015, and had joined an existing “pack” of two parent dogs and three puppies already at the dam, said Ms Eldred.
“Two of the dogs went missing a month ago, but they were never found,” she said.
“Then, four more dogs went missing, who bodies were found on August 30. Three puppies remain missing. We’re hoping that they’ve just wandered and gotten lost,” Ms Eldred told The Phuket News.
Ms Eldred’s love for animals meant that she often walked her dog at Bang Niew Ban Dam, where she and her friends also feed a pack of street dogs living there, she said.
Police investigating the scene today, however, were confronted with the problem of three of the four dogs’ bodies being removed.
Lt Suporn Muangkhai of the Thalang Police told The Phuket News today, “Today we went to the site, however only one of the dogs’ bodies was still there. It did not have burn marks on it. But, I did not see the other bodies as they could not be found.
“The grass looks freshly cut, so the land owner might have removed them,” he said.
Lt Suporn said that police were continuing their investigation into the deaths.
Meanwhile, Ms Eldred stressed that the Prevention of Animal Cruelty and Provision of Animal Welfare Act came into force on December 27, 2014.
“Although this act is somewhat vague, it is a start in changing attitudes towards animal abuse in Thailand,” she said.
“The law is there to be used and if residents are too scared, despondent or have little trust in the police, then animal welfare will never change. As citizens, we must take the time to report these incidents.
“The police at Thalang were very good, they were attentive and took the complaint lodged seriously,” she added.
“Of course, I am beyond devastated that this has happened to these lovely dogs. They were a big part of my life and the other feeding volunteers for a long time.
“They loved cuddles, walks and we all had a really strong connection with them. They did no one any harm. Whoever did this to them is a truly violent person,” she said.
Ms Eldred also noted that she has rescued two other dogs from the area to save them from danger, and is now seeking homes for them.
“Hudson is around 5 years old, male and neutered and Beauty is between 2-3 years old, female and spayed. They love people and are extremely affectionate,” she said.
Ms Eldred urged people interested in adopting Hudson or Beauty, or both, to call her at 084-1888445.