Korat police summons medical student over puppy's death

Korat police summons medical student over puppy's death

Pills collected from the stomach of the Pomeranian puppy owned by the medical student. (Photo by Prasit Tangprasert)
Pills collected from the stomach of the Pomeranian puppy owned by the medical student. (Photo by Prasit Tangprasert)

NAKHON RATCHASIMA - Local police planned to issue a summons on Wednesday for a sixth-year medical student to report and hear a charge of fatally poisoning his Pomeranian puppy.

Phattarapong Songsapkul, a Mahidol University medical student, faces the charge after an autopsy by the regional medical science centre in Nakhon Ratchasima found pills collected from the dog’s stomach were not vitamins but drugs used to treat hypertension.

The centre’s findings confirmed the diagnosis of veterinarian Anongnat Suttham of the Centre Pet Hospital in Nakhon Ratchasima, who had examined the dead dog. She concluded the animal died of a drug overdose.

A vet examines the dead Pomeranian owned by the medical student. (Photo by Prasit Tangprasert)

The dog owner's action amounted torturing his pet, said Pol Lt Col Pichai Cherdchoo, deputy investigation chief at Pho Klang in Muang district.

Police would today issue a summons for the medical student to acknowledge the charge. The summons would be sent to Mr Phattarapong at his home address via Chok Chai police station, he said.

Mr Phattarong would have seven days to report to police. If he failed to do so a second summons would follow. If he again ignored it, a warrant would be issued for his arrest.

Two weeks ago, Mr Phattarapong hired PetMovers to transport his Pomeranian from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima.

On its arrival in Chok Chai district, the student said it appeared to be depressed and suffering from flatulence. He asked the driver to take the animal to Centre Pet Hospital, where the dog was later pronounced dead.

Mr Phattarapong demanded 50,000 baht in compensation, but the company refused to pay and instead asked the hospital to autopsy the dog, which revealed the drug inside its stomach.

The Medical Faculty of Siriraj Hospital  suspended the student after allegations he had drugged at least one dog to death to claim compensation.

Bangkok police have already summonsed the medical student to acknowledge a charge of attempted fraud over his insurance claim for the death of his dog.

If he does not answer it by next Monday they will issue a second summons on Tuesday, said Pol Lt Col Suebpong Karuna, deputy chief investigator of Sutthisan police.


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