Dogs kill one, savage three

Raksina Techawatanabam-rungkij, 37, was killed late on Friday night after she released 11 pet dogs, including the three pit bulls, from their cage into the compound of her family's large rice mill.

Her mother-in-law, Charoensri Lorlertrat, 53, her 20-month-old daughter, Thaweephan Lorlertrat, and her brother-in-law, Satit Lorlertrat, 33, were also injured by the dogs.

Charoensri told police that Raksina had left the house to release the dogs about midnight but had not come back inside, prompting her baby daughter to cry.

Charoensri came out to look for her and found Raksina's badly mauled body along with that of a pet dog of the family that seemed to have died in an attempt to defend |her.

The pit bulls then turned on Charoensri and her granddaughter. Charoensri cried for help, and when her son Satit came out to help, he was also attacked. Eventually Charoensri's husband, Pol Sub-Lieutenant Seksuek Lorlertrat, came out to help and shot two of the pit bulls dead while the other escaped.

Police suspect the release from the cage was later than usual, making the dogs stressed and agitated in the hot weather.