28 starving dogs in Bangkok survive by feeding on dead owner’s leg

Twenty-eight dogs who appear to have survived the death of their Thai owner by eating his leg have been rescued after the grisly find of the man’s body in a Bangkok suburb.

The body of the owner, identified by local news outlet The Nation as 62-year-old Attapol Charoenpithak, was discovered on Saturday in the Thai capital’s Khlong Sam Wa district after neighbours alerted local medical rescue services when they noticed his car had not moved for several days.

Attapol is believed to have died from pre-existing medical conditions, including hypertension and diabetes, leaving the dogs locked inside without food for at least a week.

His home was in a state of disarray when police entered, with the floors covered in rubbish and dog faeces. They were accompanied by officials from The Voice Foundation, an animal welfare organisation, who documented the scene and assessed the health of the animals.

The foundation said that there had been 30 dogs in the house, but two had already perished.

“Initially, it was reported that there were about 15 dogs surrounding the uncle’s body. But when the team and doctors arrived to the area, they found them scattered around the house and 2 dead bodies were found,” the charity wrote in the caption of an Instagram video showing the conditions the animals were discovered in.

The canines, a mix of chihuahua and Shih Tzu breeds, are thought to have survived by feeding on Attapol’s left leg, according to The Nation, which cited police sources.

Attapol was known to animal welfare groups for keeping scores of dogs and driving them around in cages, alerting charities to the potential exposure of his pets to the hot sun.

The Voice Foundation said a veterinarian who had cared for Attapol’s dogs alerted them in 2021