A dog in northern Thailand is being hailed a hero after the canine rescued a newborn baby who had allegedly been buried alive by its teenage mother.
The BBC reported that the baby boy’s mother, who was 15, abandoned the child to keep the fact that she was ever pregnant from her parents.
The dog, named Ping Pong, was reportedly barking and scratching at a place in a farmer’s field in Ban Nong Kham village. His owner, Usa Nisaikha, said that when he went to see what had captured his pet’s attention, he saw a baby’s leg sticking out of the dirt.
Nisaikha quickly dug up the baby, which reportedly weighed just over five pounds, and took him to the hospital, The Daily Mail reported. Amazingly, the baby suffered no serious injuries and was declared healthy by doctors.
Nisaikha told Khaosod Newspaper that his dog had lost the use of one of his legs after it was struck by a car, per the BBC .
“I kept him because he’s so loyal and obedient, and always helps me out when I go to the fields to tend to my cattle. He’s loved by the entire village. It’s amazing.”
Ping Pong has now achieved local celebrity status.
“Everybody in the village is amazed by what he has done now. He is a hero because he saved the life of the baby,” Nisaikha said.
Dog rescues baby buried alive in field in Thailand https://t.co/McqWLGOFKo
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) May 17, 2019
After the discovery, police began to investigate who the mother might be. After interviewing local residents, a shopkeeper reportedly said that a teenage girl had recently been in his store to buy a large amount of sanitary towels.
The teenager was reportedly arrested on Thursday after she admitted to giving birth to the baby, The Daily Mail reported.
The baby currently remains in the hospital where his health is being supervised. The girl’s parents said they would raise the baby when he is released from the hospital, but authorities have not yet decided to allow them to do so. The governor of the town said that the police and welfare workers would consider the safety of the child first before making any decisions about where the baby would be placed.
Authorities reportedly interviewed the mother but since she is a minor they are waiting for a mental evaluation before charging her with child abandonment and attempted murder, the Daily Mail reported.
The BBC reported that an officer told the Bangkok Post that the girl regretted what she had done.
