Thai animal welfare organisations have demanded an investigation into the filming of “The Empress of Ayodhaya” TV series for alleged animal cruelty, after a black cat was sedated to mimic being poisoned.
The Watchdog Thailand Foundation has openly criticised the production crew for alleged animal cruelty during the filming of the TV series, pointing out that sedation must only be done under the care of veterinarians.
The foundation says it is also waiting for the results of an investigation from the Department of Livestock Development and has requested footage of the filming procedures and a health check-up for the cat.
“No matter what, this is still wrong. They have already (potentially) committed a wrongdoing. The production of ‘The Empress of Ayodhaya’ has (allegedly) drugged an animal for the filming, which is animal cruelty,” they claim.
Regarding the “animal expert”, who the director claims to have been on set during the filming, the foundation explained that this would violate the Veterinary Profession Act, if it is found that the animal expert in question is not a qualified veterinarian.
If, however, they are found to be a veterinarian, ethics and violations of the Animal Cruelty Act will be taken into consideration.
The foundation also said that the scene clearly shows the black cat convulsing in the scene, indicating that the sedation process has put the cat’s life in danger.
This indicates that the director, the owner and the “animal expert” could have violated the Animal Cruelty Act.
Similarly, the Veterinary Council of Thailand explained the dangers of cat sedation on its official Facebook page.
It said that sedating a cat can affect its blood circulation and respiratory system. It also explains that sedation of animals is usually done to diagnose or treat illness or diseases, or for the transport of large animals.
Regardless, the sedation of animals must be done under the close supervision of veterinarians.
Thailand’s Department of Livestock Development has already sent an urgent letter to the ONE31 channel, asking the director, the owner of the cat and the “animal expert”, who allegedly sedated the cat, to explain the filming procedures in detail.
The department will then assess whether they violated the Animal Cruelty Act.
