About Us
Warning! Upsetting but the sad reality of CTV footage from 2.55 onwards in this youtube link showcasing the vital work of WDT

WatchDog Thailand is a nonprofit organisation that was established by animal lover groups with the aim of taking Legal Measures for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and to protect dogs from being injured through violence & dog trafficking. Today, we can say that in cooperation with the Thai government, we have been successful in stopping dog trafficking since 2014
For the past 12 years we have fought for the rights of dogs & animals!
WatchDog Thailand was finally registered as a foundation on October 4, 2019.

WatchDog Thailand works in the background by coordinating with government agencies & police to prosecute people who commit acts of animal cruelty under ‘Animal Cruelty Prevention’ Laws!
We work very hard to protect the dogs and during all those years and we've brought a lot of cases to law
As a result, over 5000 dogs had been rescued from the transnational dog trade and we have successfully brought many cases pursuant to ‘Animal Cruelty Prevention’ Laws since 2014.
WDT began with an increased awareness of Bhurita Watanasak, that Thailand had a huge challenge at hand with regard to animal treatment for both breed and non-breed dogs! For ten years, international trading of animals had become the norm.
People would mercilessly slaughter animals, even pets, to satisfy their greed for a bit of money.
Although laws gave mandate against animal abuse, it wasn’t imposed or binding enough for local or national government to uphold! Sadly, some within the government itself even took part in dog meat trading! [DMT]

Our organisation was responsible for forcing the legislation to enact the first animal welfare law in Thailand and enforcing a more severe punishment to violators which resulted in the minimisation of animal abuse and the complete eradication of the dog meat trade in Thailand. Our desire is to continue our work by using the law to protect animals, educate the public and assist government officials in ensuring justice be met to those who violate it!
BUT still only 10 CASES HAVE RECEIVED A JAIL SENTENCE!
Future law must be strengthened & fines increased!

Background 
Before the Cruelty Prevention and Welfare of Animal Act B.E. 2557 (2014), many foundations and organisations throughout Thailand had tried independently to solve the problem of stray and abused animals.
However since Thailand did not have animal welfare legislation and the law relating to animal welfare was very limited it was difficult to address the problem of abuse of stray dogs, the dog meat trade & animal abuse.
This opened the door for merciless & greedy traders to benefit from dog meat trading & slaughtering Thailand became a convenient gateway to Vietnam for the dog meat trade in South East Asia!
WATCHDOG THAILAND’s fight started with building connection with government offices. At that time there were only two acts that could be enforced: the PUBLIC HEALTH ACT and CONTROL OF ANIMAL SLAUGHTER FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF MEAT ACT, B.E. 2535 (1992). WDT continuously discussed the aspects of problem with The Royal Thai Police with the kindness of then Pol.Gen. Sangsingkaew, Commissioner of The Royal Thai Police who acknowledged the importance and urgency of the issues. The first meeting was held on 14 July 2013 and the results became one of the priority policies of the Royal Thai Police.

WATCHDOG THAILAND was assigned to produce a memorandum of understanding on animal cruelty prevention and suppression with the Natural Resources And Environmental Crime Division. The Dog Meat Trade Special Taskforce was established with a group of policemen who were given authority to investigate and arrest under the supervision of The Provincial Police Region 4.

Meetings were arranged to inform policemen all over the country and to introduce the existing laws and legislation, and encourage the use of informant practices to lead to arrests. Campaigns, posters and meetings were used to ensure that government offices in every region in Thailand would clearly understand the policy and actively work on the cases.

Finally the hard work to enforce the animal welfare act was successful. The CRUELTY PREVENTION AND WELFARE OF ANIMAL ACT B.E. 2557 (2014) was promulgated on 27 December 2014. Since then WATCHDOG THAILAND has coordinated with relevant government offices to enforce the law and encourage people to use this legislation to protect animal rights.

WATCHDOG THAILAND has tried to work through education, widening of legal information, investigations and prosecutions, to improve the living conditions of animals, prevent cruelty and promote kindness.
The coordination between The Royal Thai Police, Department of Livestock Development, Administrative Offices of Sub Districts, Districts and Provinces, Royal Thai Navy MaeKong Riverine Patrol Regiment and WATCHDOG THAILAND have prevented and stopped many cases throughout Thailand.

Throughout its long struggle, WDT has saved animal lives and been involved in hundreds of cases both before and after the enactment of the law to prevent animal cruelty in Thailand.
More than five thousand lives from the crackdown on the international dog trade
and hundred of cases in the past nine years since the enactment of the law to prevent cruelty was passed in 2014.
BUT ONLY 10 CASES HAVE RECEIVED A JAIL SENTENCE…. Future law must be strengthened and fines increased 

I admit that I do not have much. I live a regular life as an ordinary woman, but what I know I have IS the intense love & compassion towards mistreated animals. So with the help of some influential and good friends back in university and coupled with the people I’ve befriended over the years we came up with a petition called the “Prevention of Cruelty and Animal Welfare Provision, Act 2557 which impels animal owners to provide appropriate care and shelter and to stop illegal meat trade of dogs! It took a while for us to get the bill approved by the Senate but the government took notice and granted us special credentials to start with. The Memorandum of Understanding is an incorporated assistance with the police special task force to investigate and if need be, apprehend anyone found to be involved in the Dog meat trade. When the bill was passed and approved it gave legal weight for us to pressure the local & national government into sanctioning every person who breaks it. This is how Watchdog Thailand started!
We did not start as a foundation or a non-profit organisation like many others but our humble beginnings began with just a small group of people who have genuine compassion for mistreated or abused animals.
But even after we found the solution to legally prohibit Dog meat trade in Thailand the need to protect pets or stray dogs all over the country called for a much bigger purpose. Using our own resources, we took cases of animal abuse. It did not take long for others to help fund our work as people began to sympathise with our cause. The local media and social sites proved an effective channel to get our mission across.
People started to find comfort calling in anonymously to report all kinds of animal abuse they’ve witnessed or was being done to their own pets by neighbours and sometimes even family!
The height of our premature success moved us to officially register Watchdog Thailand under the Prevention of Cruelty and Animal Welfare Provision Act 2557 as a legitimate animal welfare foundation. Our main job is to work together in partnership with relevant government agencies such as the Royal Thai Police and the Department of Livestock Development to implement strict ordinance of animal abuse and penalise those who fail to adhere.

WATCHDOG THAILAND’s fight started with building connection with government offices. At that time there were only two acts that could be enforced: the PUBLIC HEALTH ACT and CONTROL OF ANIMAL SLAUGHTER FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF MEAT ACT, B.E. 2535 (1992). WDT continuously discussed the aspects of problem with The Royal Thai Police with the kindness of then, Pol.Gen. Adul Sangsingkaew, Commissioner of The Royal Thai Police who acknowledged the importance and urgency of the issues. The first meeting was held on 14 July 2013 and the results became one of the priority policies of the Royal Thai Police.
Finally the hard work to enforce the animal welfare act was successful. The CRUELTY PREVENTION AND WELFARE OF ANIMAL ACT B.E. 2557 (2014) was promulgated on 27 December 2014. Since then WATCHDOG THAILAND has coordinated with relevant government offices to enforce the law and encourage people to use this legislation to protect animal rights.
The coordination between The Royal Thai Police, Department of Livestock Development, Administrative Offices of Sub Districts, Districts and Provinces, Royal Thai Navy MaeKong Riverine Patrol Regiment and WATCHDOG THAILAND have prevented and stopped many DMT cases throughout Thailand.

What started as a desire to save helpless and exploited animal lives, grew into a desperate outcry that moved people and organisations to set their compassion in motion. And because of the resilience of the people of Tha Rae Sakon Nakhon province, trading dog meat was eradicated completely. But the battle is only half-won. People’s ignorance of the law or the lack of awareness of it hinders all animals, pets or wild dogs alike, to be protected or rescued from inhumanity.
Watchdog Thailand is determined to educate and reinforce people’s understanding of the significance of the Animal Welfare Law. And to reiterate that non-compliance to it has consequences.

In traditional Thai culture, providing food for stray cats or dogs is one way to express kindness to animals and gain merit. However this maintains, rather than addressing, the problem of stray animals.
WATCHDOG THAILAND hopes for the cooperation from government and private sections to fight and solve the roots of the problem of stray animals, the dog meat trade, dog meat consumption & animal cruelty, especially in the North and North-Eastern parts of Thailand.

Before the Cruelty Prevention and Welfare of Animal Act B.E. 2014, many foundations and organisations throughout Thailand tried independently to solve the problem of stray and abused animals. However since Thailand did not have animal welfare legislation and the law relating to animal welfare was very limited it was difficult to address the problem of stray dogs, the dog meat trade and animal abuse. This opened the door for merciless and greedy traders to benefit from dog meat trading, slaughtering and abusing, and Thailand became a convenient gateway for the DMT trade to flourish in Vietnam.