An eight-year-old boy has been rescued from deplorable conditions in northern Thailand, where he was found living among dogs and communicating solely by barking.
Thai authorities discovered the child on June 30 during a joint raid in Uttaradit province, following a tip-off from a school principal to children’s rights activist Paveena Hongsakul.
The boy had been abandoned by his drug-addicted family and was living in a dilapidated stilt house with his 46-year-old mother and 23-year-old brother, both of whom tested positive for drug use and now face charges.
According to Paveena, the child lacked any formal education or meaningful human contact.
“He didn’t speak, he just barked. It was pitiful to see,” she said. The boy had been enrolled in school once, but his mother reportedly withdrew him just to collect government subsidy funds.
Neighbours described the mother’s frequent begging at a nearby temple and said her erratic behaviour had led other families to isolate their children from the boy.
With no human interaction, he began mimicking the six dogs that lived with the family, eventually adopting barking as his only means of communication.
Local police and Education Ministry officials confirmed the home was in a known drug zone. A teacher familiar with the family remarked that the boy had “no one—just the dogs to play with.”
The boy has since been placed in protective custody at the Uttaradit Children’s Home, where he will receive care and rehabilitation. Paveena assured that his progress will be closely monitored, stating, “We’ll follow up with him to make sure he gets everything he needs.”
