The animal cruelty prevention law should be amended to force pet owners to register their animals with local administrative organisations (LAOs) as part of efforts to reduce the number of strays, according to a lawmaker.
Legislator Wallop Tangkananurak, who chairs the National Legislative Assembly (NLA)'s committee on animal welfare protection, said on Tuesday he would petition the NLA to amend the Cruelty Prevention and Welfare of Animals Act to force pet owners to document their animals with LAOs as well as the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).
The committee is also considering a stipulation requiring owners to have microchips implanted in their animals to make identification of strays easier for authorities, the lawmaker said.
Stray dogs and cats also cause conflicts between their caretakers, who feed them but do not regard themselves as owners, and locals who are troubled by these animals, said Mr Wallop. These stray animals were also to blame for the spread of rabies, he added.
"No conclusion has been reached at this stage about the penalty which pet owners could receive if they fail to register their animals," said Mr Wallop.
As for the roaming animals, LAOs officials would put them into shelters for 15 days, waiting for owners to claim them. The law will make clear that pet owners will not be allowed to let their animals roam on public roads any more, he noted.
The NLA is expected to pass the amendment by June.
Meanwhile, police have summoned a woman who they said abandoned 15 dogs at a house she rents in Nonthaburi's Bang Bua Thong district.
Eight of the dogs had already died when police searched the house last Thursday following a tip-off by the house's owner.
Dog owner Natheetorn Mahittharittikrai said she would report to police today, according to officers.
