A disabled dog in northeastern Thailand has been hailed a hero after rescuing a newborn baby that had been buried alive by his teenage mother. It was the sniffing and digging of the dog, named Ping Pong, which attracted the attention of locals to a spot of wasteland in Ban Nong Kham village, in Nakhon Ratchasima, Isaan.
According to Ping Pong’s owner, the dog’s digging unveiled one of the baby’s legs which prompted locals to pull the infant to safety. Thai daily Matichon reported that a 15 year old girl, who has not been named, admitted burying her baby and has since been charged with murder. She has also undergone psychiatric evaluation. She said that she was scared of being punished by her father for getting pregnant.
The girl’s family later said they would look after the baby, who survived the ordeal and who has been given the all-clear by doctors. Lieutenant colonel Panuwat Puttakam, of Cham Phuang police, said: “The girl is now in the care of a psychologist and her parents because she is in great fear. She regrets what she did and said she acted on impulse without thinking it through.
She feared her parents would find out she had been pregnant.” Ping Pong, who is six, has become somewhat of a celebrity featuring in news coverage and TV bulletins, not only in Thailand but around the world, with the story being reported by scores of news outlets including the BBC, Daily Mail, Fox News and the South China Morning Post. Owner Usa Nisaika, 41, described Ping Pong as a very good boy and confirmed that he only has the use of three legs.
“I heard a dog barking and a baby crying in a cassava plantation, so I went there to check,” Usa told Thai local media. “The dog was digging up a dirt pile and the baby’s legs emerged.” He added: “Ping Pong was hit by a car, so he’s disabled. But I kept him because he’s so loyal and obedient, and always helps me out when I go into the fields to tend to my cattle. He’s loved by the entire village. It’s amazing he found the baby.”
