Dog Lover Dies Attempting Rescue of Puppies

CHONBURI — On 19 September 2026, a 65-year-old man known for his love of dogs was found dead inside a narrow dirt tunnel in Ban Bueng district, with two newborn puppies lying near his hands.

Police from Ban Bueng Police Station were alerted after the Sila Dhamma Association rescue team found the man trapped inside a dirt cavity in Ban Noen Kruat, Nong Irun subdistrict. The site was a grassy area near a drainage canal on residential property. The opening of the dirt tunnel was about 60 centimeters wide, with a human foot visible at the entrance.

Rescuers used shovels to dig approximately 30 centimeters downward and then excavated horizontally along the length of the body for about 1.5 meters, spending around 10 minutes removing the body. The man was found lying face down with both arms stretched forward. Two newborn puppies were found dead near his hands.

An initial examination found no apparent signs of assault. The man was later identified as Wana Sae-li, 65, who lived alone at the property. His older brother lived about 20 meters away.

His 75-year-old brother, Somsak Sae-li, said he went to check on Wana in the morning and found only his brother's motorcycle parked at the house. After failing to find him at home or at his workplace, Somsak returned and searched the surrounding area. He noticed what appeared to be a human foot protruding from a dirt tunnel and immediately contacted police and rescuers.

The victim's niece said her uncle was extremely fond of dogs and would sometimes go without food himself to make sure the dogs had enough to eat. Whenever one of his dogs went missing, he would search for it. She said she had last seen him at around 17:00 the previous day. When the family could not find him the following morning, they began searching around the house.

During an earlier search, the family noticed what appeared to be a foot protruding from the dirt but initially thought it was a shoe buried by dogs digging around the area. They became alarmed after returning to inspect it and using a stick to move the soil, discovering that it was a human foot.

Pittaya Kongsri, 57, a member of the Nong Irun subdistrict administrative organization, said Wana was well known for his love of dogs. He said heavy rain had fallen the previous night and suggested that Wana may have been concerned that rainwater would flood a dirt hole where a female dog had given birth. Wana may have crawled inside to rescue the puppies, Pittaya said, adding that the narrow tunnel and wet, sandy soil may have collapsed around him, leaving him unable to escape.

A search of the property found eight other newborn puppies lying together on the ground beneath the house, with two female dogs nearby. The tunnel where Wana was found was located in sandy soil beside a drainage canal. The ground was wet, with water seeping through the soil, while several other holes apparently dug by dogs were found nearby. Police documented the scene and had the body examined by a doctor.