An eight year old Thai boy has been rescued from a squalid drug den where he was raised alongside six dogs and ended up barking instead of speaking.
The boy, who had not been to school in two years, was found living in filthy conditions in Laplae district, Uttaradit province, with his drug-addicted mum and older brother. With no friends and no human contact, the boy reportedly learned to communicate by barking like a dog.
“He didn’t speak, he just barked,” said Pawina Hongsakul, President of the Pawina Hongsakul Foundation for Children and Women, who led the rescue on June 30. “It was pitiful to see.”
The youngster, referred to as “Boy A” for legal reasons, is now in the care of a local children’s shelter. The foundation is working with officials to ensure he receives counselling, support and, at long last, a proper education.
The boy’s dire situation came to light when Sophon Siha-ampai, a local headteacher, contacted Pawina after repeated concerns.
“His mother hasn’t allowed him to go to school since he received a subsidy for free education. After getting the money, she simply kept him at home.”
The child had originally been enrolled in Grade 1 but had missed two years of schooling since leaving kindergarten.
His 46 year old mother allegedly spent her days going around local villages and temples to beg for money and leftover rice, while the boy stayed home with the dogs.
Neighbours were so disturbed by the family’s behaviour they stopped their own kids from playing with him.
“The house is in a red zone for drugs,” one teacher said. “The boy had no-one, just the dogs to play with.”
A raid on the house, coordinated by Pawina and local police, found both the mother and the boy’s 23 year old brother tested positive for drugs. Officers from Laplae Police Station took them for immediate treatment and slapped them with drug use charges.
The rescue effort involved multiple agencies, including the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security and the Office of the Basic Education Commission.
Dr Theer Phawangkanan, OBEC Deputy Secretary-General, and Dr Trin Kan Dok Mai, Director of the OBEC Happiness and Safety Management Centre, pledged to support the boy’s return to school, KhaoSod reported.
“The boy will be given a chance at a good life,” said Pawina. “We’ll follow up with him to make sure he gets everything he needs.”
Social workers are now working to rehabilitate the boy, who is expected to need long-term support to help him reintegrate into society after years of severe neglect.
The story Barking mad: Boy rescued after being raised by dogs in drug den as seen on Thaiger News.
