Thailand and its Animal Welfare Laws. Just a mere 10 years or so ago, Thailand had an active dog and cat meat trade. Gill & John Dalley moved to Phuket, Thailand and co-founded Soi Dog Foundation. Over the course of time, they have transformed the landscape of a country. In terms of legislation, they were involved in helping to pass the first Animal Welfare Law in Thailand on December 27, 2014. Before this, there was NO legislation in place. Among the various protections in it, notably it prohibits the trading in and consumption of dog & cat meat and to prevent cruelty and torture to animals. Violations will be considered a criminal offense and punishment is a maximum of approx. $1,600 fine and/or two years in jail. The dog meat trade continues there to the total of roughly 5,000 annually however this will change over time as this legislation becomes more and more enforced. This is all a positive step in the right direction!