Abandoned pets occupy temples

Buddhist temples in central Thailand have been flooded with abandoned cats and dogs after an outbreak of feline and canine distemper killed hundreds of pets in the past month, newspapers reported yesterday.

One temple in the rice growing province of Phichit, 350 km north of Bangkok, had to put up a sign asking pet owners to stop "supplying" the monastery with cats and dogs.

"Wat Bung has enough of cats and dogs," said a sign at the monastery posted on newspaper website www.manager.co.th.