A beauty products company employee in Don Mueang has been fired after a video showing him kicking a cat went viral and sparked outrage across social media.
The short clip shows the man setting up a camera before forcefully kicking a cat, sending the animal flying. The video was captioned, “I would like to ask permission from cat lovers.”
The cruel act drew widespread condemnation from netizens, many of whom demanded that legal action be taken against him.
Investigations revealed that the man worked as a maintenance staff member for a beauty products company. Following the backlash, the company issued an official statement on Thursday announcing his immediate termination.
“The company does not support and will never tolerate any form of cruelty towards living beings. Therefore, we would like to inform that the maintenance worker involved has been dismissed effective October 10,” the company said in a statement quoted by Thaiger.
The statement added that the man’s actions were purely personal and unrelated to the company. The firm also thanked the public for their concern and reaffirmed its stance against animal cruelty.
Meanwhile, the animal welfare organization Watchdog Thailand Foundation (WDT) confirmed that the cat is safe and uninjured.
“The man’s ex-girlfriend has taken the cat to a veterinary clinic. The animal is safe and now under her care,” WDT said in a social media post.
