BANGKOK, Dec 6 (TNA) – A man, 68, acknowledged two charges after killing a young cat and insisted that he had his right to protect himself and his property.
The man was seen in a video clip killing a cat by smashing it against the ground before the eyes of its owner. It was a four-month-old male cat, half-Persian-half-Scottish. The incident happened on Dec 4.
The man identified only as Thian led reporters to see scratches on the seats of all motorcycles in his house. He claimed they were done repeatedly by local cats and he had attacked them though having no intention to kill any. He said he had his right to do so.
A Ms Eua, the 18-year-old owner of the dead cat, said she would take full legal action against the man. She filed a complaint about animal torture and damaged property with police.
Sathit Pratya-ariyakul, director of the Thai Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said the case could be deemed in violation of Section 20 of the Cruelty Prevention and Animal Welfare Act which prohibited people from torturing an animal without a sound reason. Violators were liable to a jail term of up to two years and/or a fine of up to 40,000 baht, he said.
According to the law, the man could cite the protection of his body and property as his excuse but relevant authorities would have to rule if the excuse was reasonable, Mr Sathit said. (TNA)
