Dogs locked up in Bangkok house without food eat body of dead owner

More than two dozen dogs that ate their dead owner's body to survive for days in a locked house were finally rescued over the weekend from a Bangkok suburb.

The dogs were trapped for at least a week after their owner Attapol Charoenpithak, 62, died inside the house of medical conditions such as diabetes and hypertension, police said.

Thai police found the man's body on Saturday after his neighbour told police his car had not moved for several days. Sompong Phasuksri said Attapol usually drove his car to the local market every day.

The neighbour grew suspicious when he rang Attapol’s bell but got no response even though the lights were on, The Nation reported.

When police went in, they found the house littered with garbage and dog excreta. The police then contacted an animal rescue group, the Voice Foundation, to rescue the dogs.

The foundation rescued 28 dogs but two had died from lack of food.

"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 two dead bodies were found,” the charity said on Instagram.

A video shared by the charity showed the petrified canines, a mix of chihuahua and Shih Tzu breeds, being rescued from around the house.

"All the 28 siblings have been rescued at the hospital. To get checked, treated and spayed before proceeding to find a home," the foundation said.

The dogs reportedly survived by "eating the left leg of the owner".

Supawadee Srithassanakarn of the Voice Foundation, who led the rescue work, said Attapol had agreed to hand over the dogs to the charity following complaints.

He has been seen driving the dogs around in cages, which alerted animal charities to the potential exposure of his pets to heat.

In another post on Sunday, the charity said the dogs were weak due to lack of food and water and asked for donations to "take care of these children".