AN EIGHT-year-old boy has been discovered being raised by a pack of dogs in a filthy hut and unable to talk.

The neglected youngster, from northern Thailand, could only communicate through barks after being abandoned by his drug-addicted family and kept out of school.

Thai authorities found the boy during a raid on a run-down stilt house in the province of Uttaradit this week

They discovered the child living with his mother and 23-year-old brother who were both riddled with drugs, tests showed.

Police visited the hut after the principle of the local school contacted a children’s activist, Paveena Hongsakul, who escalated the case.

Paveena said: “He didn’t speak, he just barked. It was pitiful to see.”

The boy had never been to school properly.

However, his mum did take him in once to scoop up the government support money supposed to be spent on his education, Khaosod English reports.

Paveena said: “His mother hasn’t allowed him to go to school since he received a subsidy for free education.

“After getting the money, she simply kept him at home.”

Neighbours said the 46-year-old mum would beg for money and food at the temple in the local village.

The surrounding families reportedly got fed up with the mum’s reckless behaviour and banned their kids from interacting with the boy.

This left him with only the family’s six dogs to socialise with.

Starved of meaningful human contact, he began mimicking the dog’s behaviour – and even adopted their barks to communicate.

The urgent social visit on June 30 was a joint operation between Lap Lae police officers and Education Ministry officials.

After the adults failed urine tests, they were charged with drug consumption.

A local teacher said: “The house is in a red zone for drugs. The boy had no one, just the dogs to play with.”

The helpless child was placed into car at the Uttaradit’s Children’s Home.

Paveena is monitoring the boy’s case to ensure he receives adequate care.

She said: “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.”