Police believe officials behind dogs smuggling gang

BANGKOK, April 22 (TNA) – Thai police are on the lookout for the owner of a warehouse where dogs were rescued from smuggling abroad on Saturday. About 600 dogs were rescued by police from the warehouse in the northeastern district of Wan Yai in Mukdahan province. According to the report, the dogs were kept in small cages and smugglers prepared to smuggle them for sales in overseas. Many dogs reportedly died from starvation and fatigue as police had moved them to a state-run quarantine station in Khemarat district in Ubon Ratchathani province. Police said they were looking for the warehouse owner while they expected that several government officials had joined in the racket. Meanwhile, more than 700 dogs out of over 2,000 dogs which were rescued from smuggling and kept at another quarantine station in nearby Buri Ram province since last August had died due to starvation and heat. Officials at the station said they had to install fans and build small ponds inside cages to help the dogs from heat suffering. Samaritans had taken more than 100 dogs into care while there were still more than 1,100 dogs left at the station. (TNA)