Neglected 8-year-old boy does not know how to speak, communicates by barking

By Minh Nga July 3, 2025 | 04:00 am PT

Thai authorities have rescued an eight-year-old boy from a drug den where he was raised alongside six dogs and had begun barking instead of speaking due to a complete lack of human contact.

The Pavena Foundation for Children and Women, in collaboration with authorities, rescued the child on Monday in Laplae District, Uttaradit Province, northern Thailand, after a local school principal discovered the boy's situation and alerted the police. He had been living with his drug-addicted mother, 46, and 23-year-old brother.

The boy never attended kindergarten but visited the school with his mother when he was old enough for Grade 1. His mother received about 400 baht (US$12.4) in government education support but never enrolled him in school, as reported by Khaosod.

School principal Sopon Siha-ampai visited the family recently and learned from neighbors that the mother often begged for food and money from a nearby temple after being rejected by local residents.

The neighbors discouraged their children from interacting with her family. Lacking human playmates, the boy developed a bond with the dogs and started imitating their behaviors, including communicating with barking sounds.

"He didn’t speak, he just barked," said Pavena Hongsakula, President of the Pavena Foundation for Children and Women, who led the rescue on Monday, Thaiger reported. "It was pitiful to see."

The boy is now in the care of a local children's shelter.

A raid on the home revealed that both the boy's mother and brother tested positive for drugs. Officers from Laplae Police Station took them for immediate treatment and charged them with drug use.