A 70-year-old woman in Thailand has died after being attacked by a pit bull mix that had previously been involved in the death of another owner five years earlier.
The woman, identified by Thai media as Wandee, was attacked on 9 September at a house in Bangkok’s Bueng Kum district where the dog, named Giant, was being kept.
Giant is described in Thai reports as a male Bandog or pit bull cross. The dog is now about seven years old.
Woman Had Taken Giant In After Earlier Fatal Attack
The most striking part of the case is that this was not Giant’s first fatal attack.
In April 2021, Giant attacked its then-owner, 56-year-old Wisit Sanguanmak, at his home in Bang Lamung district in Chonburi province.
Wisit was seriously injured and subsequently died in hospital. Giant, which was about two years old at the time, had been raised by Wisit since it was around three months old.
After that incident, representatives from a pit bull group took Giant into their care. Contemporary reporting shows that the dog was initially transferred to another owner in Nakhon Sawan.
Giant later passed through other carers. Thai PBS reported after the latest attack that Wandee subsequently contacted those caring for Giant and asked to take the dog in.
According to WatchDog Thailand Foundation, as reported by The Thaiger, Giant had more recently been moved to Bangkok because of health problems so that he could receive treatment more conveniently.
Attack Happened While She Was Caring for the Dog
Thai reports differ slightly on the exact sequence immediately before the attack, but indicate that Wandee was tending to Giant when she was attacked.
Thai PBS reported that she had gone to feed and clean the dog as usual. A worker was attempting to secure Giant with a lead when the dog became startled and attacked Wandee. The broadcaster also reported that Giant had been ill and had recently appeared irritable.
Emergency personnel subsequently secured the dog so authorities could enter the property. Wandee’s body was sent to the Police General Hospital’s forensic institute for examination.
There has been no authoritative finding establishing precisely what caused Giant to attack, so the dog’s health condition should not be treated as a confirmed explanation for its behaviour.
Former Shelter Wants to Take Giant Back
As of 11 September, Giant’s future had not yet been finally decided.
WatchDog Thailand Foundation said that Love Is, a shelter that had previously cared for Giant, had offered to take him back. The foundation said it was coordinating with the Bueng Kum District Office on arrangements intended to protect both the public and the dog’s welfare, including tighter controls over its care.
A day earlier, MGR Online reported that those involved planned to have Giant medically examined and his behaviour assessed before deciding what should happen next. At that stage, euthanasia was not yet being considered.
