Man Arrested for Burning Husky Over Dead Fighting Rooster
SONGKHLA< Feb 23 (TNA) - Police have arrested a man who confessed to dousing a Siberian Husky with gasoline and setting it on fire, claiming he was enraged after the dog killed his fighting rooster.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Piyawat Chalermsri, Commissioner of Provincial Police Region 9, announced the arrest of 56-year-old Charoen Kamwun at the Songkhla City Police Station on Sunday.
The suspect admitted to killing the two-year-old female husky, named "Molly". According to his confession, he used a plastic bucket to pour fuel over the dog before igniting it because Molly had broken into a coop and killed his prized fighting bird. During a crime reenactment, the suspect led officers to three key locations: the poultry coop where the attack occurred, the area beside his house where he set the dog ablaze, and the nearby brushwood where he discarded the carcass of the dead rooster.
Investigators seized several items as evidence, including the plastic bucket used to carry the fuel, a dead male fighting rooster, and the clothing the suspect wore during the incident.
Charoen now faces charges of property damage by arson and animal cruelty. Under Thai law, the animal cruelty charge carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison, a fine of up to 40,000 baht, or both.
The incident began on Feb. 13 when Molly went missing from her home at 3:00 a.m. Following a social media appeal, she was discovered two days later on Feb. 15 with severe burns near a local pond. The owner filed a police report the following day. Despite intensive treatment at the Prince of Songkla University Veterinary Hospital, Molly succumbed to her injuries at 6:00 a.m. on Feb. 20, leading to the suspect’s arrest on Feb. 21.
Following the briefing, civic groups and "The Hope Songkhla" animal welfare organization presented an 87,000 baht reward to police for the swift arrest. However, Pol. Lt. Gen. Piyawat declined the reward and contributed an additional 13,000 baht of his own, returning the full 100,000 baht to the organization to fund future animal rescue efforts and combat cruelty.
