Molly the husky dies from severe burns; police investigate animal cruelty

The 2-year-old Siberian Husky, "Molly," who suffered life-threatening burns after being set on fire by a perpetrator in Muang district, Songkhla province, last Saturday, died this morning at the animal hospital of Prince of Songkhla University.

Molly had been scheduled to be flown to Bangkok in a military aircraft at about 8am today for medical treatment after His Majesty the King had agreed to accept the dog under his royal patronage.

Tonlew Yanika, Molly’s owner, said in a Facebook post that a vet caring for Molly at Prince of Songkhla University called her at 5:30am today, but she did not answer the phone. At about 8am, she received a second call from the vet, who informed her that Molly had died early this morning.

In her post, Tonlew wrote: “RIP my kid. Mom is going to pick you up.”

On Thursday, the Watch Dog Thailand Foundation posted a message on Facebook expressing its gratitude to His Majesty the King for agreeing to accept Molly for treatment.

It said that the King’s principal private secretary would fly to Songkhla in an Air Force plane this morning to take the injured dog back to Bangkok for treatment.

According to her owner, Molly and another Siberian Husky, Messi, went missing from home in Pawong sub-district, Muang district, Songkhla, last Friday.

She thought the two dogs might have slipped out of the house through a gap in the front gate and made an announcement on social media about the missing Huskies.

Last Saturday morning, the owner received a call from someone reporting a dog chasing ducks at a farm, with the farm owner demanding about 600 baht in compensation.

She then went to the farm and found only Messi, but no trace of Molly. The farm’s owner claimed that he saw only one dog.

Molly was found at about 3 a.m. last Saturday, lying next to a pond with flies covering the wounds all over her body. She was then taken to a garage, where the person who found her tried to locate her owner.

Tonlew later went to the garage to take the injured Husky to a clinic, but the vet there said the dog had suffered life-threatening 5th-degree burns and should be taken to the animal hospital at Prince of Songkhla University, which was better equipped to handle the case.

A complaint has been filed with the Muang district police by the dog’s owner.

Police investigating the case have found Molly's burned collar and traces of engine oil as well as burned animal hairs on a concrete road near the dog owner’s house.

Witnesses reportedly told the police that they heard a dog barking and saw flames engulfing its body. Some of them used water in an attempt to extinguish the fire.

Police say they are still trying to locate the perpetrator, who, if found and arrested, could face charges of cruelty to animals.

The incident has provoked outrage among dog lovers and sympathy for the dog’s owner.