A community head in Nontaburi’s Bang Bua Thong district has been charged with animal cruelty for repeatedly beating two dogs until they fell unconscious, with one appearing to have been killed.

Jinda Kanchan, 46, was hit with the charge after he turned himself in to Bang Bua Thong Police Station at 11pm on Tuesday (Nov 7) night.

He surrendered after CCTV footage from the front of Ban Ua-Arthon Bang Bua Thong 2 housing estate was posted on Facebook, prompting users to strongly condemn the act.

In the distressing clip posted by “Ae”, 37, Jinda hit the first dog seven times with a wooden stick and then turned on the second dog, which ran to the scene, and beat it until it fell unconscious.

Jinda was then seen putting the two dogs onto his motorcycle and repeatedly beating them again. He then drove the motorcycle away.

Ae said in his post that he had learned that the man had dumped the two dogs in a canal about two kilometres away.

He added that the incident happened at 10.30pm on Monday night.

Ae said he had posted the clip so Facebook users would help demand justice for the two dogs, adding that he had never seen the dogs bite anyone at the housing estate.

Jinda admitted to police that he had beaten the two animals while angry because he had been bitten by stray dogs in the neighbourhood. He also claimed stray dogs in the area caused a lot of trouble for residents of the community.

Piraboon Charoenwai 49, chairman of animal-protection society The Hope Thailand, rescued one of the dogs and sent it to Samut Sakhon Animal Hospital.

Pirabboon said the dog was called “Suay” and about eight years old. He added that his team could not find the other dog.

Police said Jinda had been freed on bail because he had surrendered and police would pass the case on to public prosecutors to schedule an arraignment.