A Boy Raised by Dogs in Thailand
An eight-year-old boy was found living with dogs and communicating only through barking in a remote area of Thailand. Local authorities revealed this shocking discovery during a welfare check conducted on Monday. The child, whose name has not been disclosed, was discovered in a dilapidated shack that had become a haven for drug-related activities.
The boy was living with his mother, aged 46, and his brother, who is 23 years old, in the Lap Lae District of Uttaradit Province. Both the mother and the brother were found to have tested positive for drugs. The family had reportedly been isolated from their neighbors, and the boy had never enrolled in school, leaving him without any social interaction or educational opportunities. Instead, he spent his days with six dogs that shared the house with him.
Paveena Hongsakul, president of an activist foundation involved in the rescue, described the situation as heartbreaking. “He didn’t speak, he just barked. It was pitiful to see,” she said. Despite receiving a monthly stipend of around 400 baht (£9) for his education, the boy had only attended school once. His mother allegedly stopped him from attending school after receiving the subsidy, keeping him at home instead.
Neighbors avoided interacting with the boy due to the family’s erratic behavior. The mother was known for begging at local temples for food and money. Following a raid on the shack, she was charged with drug consumption. A teacher described the area as a “red zone for drugs,” emphasizing the lack of support the boy had received.
Activists collaborated with local police to conduct a raid on the one-storey shack on June 30, following concerns raised by a local headteacher, Sophon Siha-ampai. Images from the scene showed authorities surrounded by the small family and several dogs in a wooded area. Urine tests were conducted on the mother and older brother, both of whom tested positive for drug use.
Social workers intervened to place the boy in a children’s home. Paveena Hongsakul, representing the Foundation for Children and Women, will work closely with authorities to ensure the boy receives continuous education and monitoring of his progress. “The boy will be given a chance at a good life. We’ll follow up with him to make sure he gets everything he needs,” she stated.
Local media reports indicate that the boy had attended pre-school but only had one day of primary school when he reached Grade One age (around 6-7). There is limited information on the long-term effects of being raised without human interaction. Throughout history, stories of children raised by animals or living alone have often been considered folklore, such as the legend of Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome.
In recent decades, psychologists have studied these cases more thoroughly to understand how upbringing affects a child’s development. One well-known case is that of Oxana Malaya, who was found living with dogs in a kennel in 1991. She exhibited behaviors similar to those of the Black Russian Terriers, including walking on all fours and barking. Despite these challenges, Oxana eventually learned to speak fluently and led a productive life, though she faced some cognitive impairments.
This incident highlights the critical need for intervention in cases where children are deprived of basic human interaction and education. It also underscores the importance of community support and awareness in preventing such tragic situations from occurring.
