THAI police rescued more than 500 dogs believed destined for the cooking pot recently, and arrested two men suspected of planning to smuggle them to Vietnam.
Police found the dogs when they stopped a truck at a checkpoint in Thailand's north-eastern province of Nakhon Phanom, police Major Srinakorn Naiyawat said.
They believe the dogs, many of them puppies and looking sick, were going to be shipped through Laos to Vietnam, where dog meat is a delicacy, he said.
Boonsom Khanthee, 52, and his son, Thaweesak Khanthee, 28, were arrested after failing to produce documents permitting them to transport animals and certifying the animals' health.
Each faces a penalty of up to two years in prison and a 20,000 baht ($694) fine if found guilty. "They were delivering the dogs to another man who was probably an agent taking orders from Laos and Vietnam," Srinakorn said.
He said local traders in the province purchase dogs from villagers for 30-40 baht ($1.04) each and sell them to exporters for 70-80 baht ($2.42-$2.77) each. "If the dogs reach Vietnam, they will fetch a price of 200-300 baht ($6.94-$10.41) each," Srinakorn said.
The seized dogs are being held at an animal shelter in the province, 610 kilometres north-east of Bangkok.
