Owner charged after filming her pit bull kill cat

Pennapha Ornputtha restrains "Olieng", a pit bull that killed a cat at her house. (Photo by Pattanapong Sripiachai)

NAKHON PHANOM: The owner of a pit bull has been charged for animal cruelty by allowing her dog to maul a cat to death.

Pennapha Ornputtha was summonsed to Kutakai police station on Sunday to hear a charge of violating the Cruelty Prevention and Welfare of Animals Act.

The accusation against the 36-year-old owner followed a complaint registered by livestock development officials in Pla Pak district. A key piece of evidence handed over to the police was a video clip showing "Olieng", the dog, attacking and killing the cat at her house, which is also a restaurant.

Interrogation chief Pol Lt Col Sompog Raengrob said police will forward the case to prosecutors on Monday.

Ms Pennapha said she took care of the dog for her husband, who worked in Japan. She said she filmed the clip on her mobile phone and sent it to him to show the dog's aggressive behaviour.

She claimed her husband posted the clip on Facebook. On Friday, it came to the attention of Watchdog Thailand and the aminal rights group alerted authorities in the district.

The owner promised to cooperate with police and said she did not purposefully release the dog to attack the cat.

The pit bull is one year old, she said, and she has looked after it since her husband went to work in Japan.

Ms Pennapha said she had told her husband more than once that "I have enough of your dog".

The woman could be fined up to 40,000 baht and/or imprisoned for up to two years if convicted.