NAKHON RATCHASIMA: A medical student accused of killing his Pomeranian puppy by a drug overdose has acknowledged an animal cruelty charge with Pho Klang investigators but denied he was guilty.
Pol Lt Col Pichai Cherdchu, the station's deputy superintendent, said Phattarapong Songsapkul, 24, a sixth-year medical student at Mahidol University, on Sunday answered a summons sent to his house in Chok Chai district last Wednesday.
His relatives accompanied him to the station, police said.
The student was summoned after a forensic examination confirmed several tablets found in the puppy's stomach were medicine to reduce human blood pressure. They are believed to have caused the dog's death.
Mr Phattarapong hired a pet delivery company to transport the dog from Bangkok to his home province early this month.
But after arriving at an animal hospital there the dog was pronounced dead.
He demanded the company pay a 50,000 baht insurance policy but it refused and asked a pet hospital to conduct an autopsy.
Pol Lt Col Pichai said the student spent around 30 minutes with investigators and was later released.
He denied the allegation, saying he would defend himself in court.
Watchdog Thailand accused the student of committing animal cruelty after his case became front-page news early this month.
He could face up to two years in jail, a 40,000 baht fine or both under the 2014 Cruelty Prevention and Welfare of Animals Act.
Police said it will take more than a week for them to gather evidence and witnesses' accounts before they can wrap up the case and forward it to prosecutors.
A second animal cruelty case involving the young man is making less progress.
In Bangkok, Suebpong Karuna, deputy chief of investigators at Sutthisan police, said Sunday the student's lawyer has contacted investigators in relation to a second case involving the death of another Pomeranian owned by Mr Phattarapong for which he also tried to claim compensation.
The lawyer said his client was ill and not in a fit mental state to cope with the stress of the two cases.
The suspect's doctor has urged him to stay at home in Nakhon Ratchasima, the lawyer said.
Pol Lt Col Suebpong said this was the second time Mr Phattarapong has sought a postponement after he was summoned to acknowledge a fraud charge for allegedly killing his dog to claim the insurance money.
