A dog in northern Thailand has rescued a newborn baby after it was buried alive, allegedly by its teenage mother.

The baby boy is said to have been abandoned by his mother, 15, to hide her pregnancy from her parents.

Ping Pong the dog was barking and digging in a field in Ban Nong Kham village. Its owner says he then noticed a baby’s leg sticking out of the earth.

Locals rushed the baby to hospital where doctors cleaned him up and declared he was healthy.

Ping Pong’s owner, Usa Nisaikha, says it lost the use of one of its legs after being hit by a car.

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He told Khaosod Newspaper: “I kept him because he’s so loyal and obedient, and always helps me out when I go to the fields to tend to my cattle. He’s loved by the entire village. It’s amazing.”

The newborn’s mother has been charged with child abandonment and attempted murder.

Panuwat Puttakam, an officer at Chum Phuang police station, told the Bangkok Post she was now in the care of her parents and a psychologist.

He said that she regrets her actions.

The girl’s parents have decided to raise the baby.