The royal order was issued on Monday (Jan 28), Governor Phakaphong said during another visit to provide support forYuenyong "D Max" Chairab and to check on the boy’s recovery progress.
D Max was attacked by four stray dogs on the north side of the bridges off the island, in Phang Nga Province, at about 10am while he was collecting shells with his brother and a friend. (See story here.)
The attack left D Max with gruesome injuries, explained Dr Chalermpong Sukontapol, Director of Vachira Phuket Hospital, where D Max is receiving medical care.
“D Max had over 100 wounds on his arms, legs, head and ears,” Dr Chalermpong said.
The boy’s left ear was nearly ripped from his head.
“While D Max was being transferred from Takua Thung Hospital (in Phang Nga) to Vachira Hospital (in Phuket Town), he was in shock due to blood loss,” Dr Chalermpong explained.
“When he arrived at Vachira Hospital, D Max was taken into the intensive-care unit (ICU) for blood transfusions, to receive medications and for surgery,” he said.
“His wounds were contaminated by mud, soil and sand, so it took many hours to clean the wounds and to have the required surgery performed,” he added.
Dr Chalermpong noted that D Max’s condition was already improving on Monday(Jan 28).
“He could breathe on his own, and he could start to eat soft foods on his own,” he said.
“By Tuesday (yesterday), he had improved further and was able to help himself more, and the wounds that had been treated, especially the ear, were healing well,” he added.
“Today, we will bring D Max to the operating room again to examine the wounds closely. We are still watch for infection and providing him with full medication to prevent bacteria and other complications that may cause an infection in the blood,” Dr Chalermpong added.
Meanwhile, the Phuket office of the Department of Livestock Development (DLD) along with staffers from the Soi Dog Foundation yesterday went to the village at Tha Chatchai on the south side of the bridges off Phuket to inspect the stray dogs there.
“We are starting here because this is the area closest to where D Max was attacked,” Phuket DLD Acting Chief Manat Thepparat told The Phuket News.
The areas inspected included around Tha Chatchai Temple, the Tha Chatchai Police Station and the areas under the Thao Thepkrasattri Bridge (leading off Phuket) and under the Thao Srisoonthorn Bridge (leading onto the island).
“During the inspection we found dogs all over the place. Most of them were strays. Some dogs allowed us to catch them and vaccinate them, but some dogs ran away. In total 24 dogs were vaccinated,” Mr Manat said.
“We found three aggressive dogs, which we shot with tranquiliser darts, but two of the dogs ran off and we could not find where they went before they asleep,” he added.
“We took the one aggressive dog that we caught, which will be sterilised and vaccinated for rabies. This dog will be taken to the Phuket Stray Dog Shelter in Thalang, which currently holds around 700 dogs,” he said.
“There are too many dogs at this shelter,” Mr Manat added,
DLD officers will continue to look for the two aggressive dogs that eluded capture, he noted.
Mr Manat urged people to report any aggressive dogs in their area by calling the DLD.
“If you see any dog acting aggressively or want a dog vaccinated for rabies, please call us at 076-216934 and give us the details of where to find the dog,” Mr Manat said.
“Then we can come and vaccinate them, or remove them,” he added.