Chilean toddler neglected by drunk mother kept alive by pregnant dog who breastfed him

Reina, the pregnant canine that saved the toddler's life   (C)24horas.cl

A two-year-old boy was reported to be kept alive by a pregnant dog who breastfed him after his dead drunk mother left him severely neglected. The naked boy was found by passerby who spotted the toddler feeding from Reina the pregnant dog in a mechanic’s workshop. The police were alerted and the toddler was rushed to an area hospital. He was reported to be malnourished with lice infestation and skin infection. But for the maternal instinct of the dog, he would have starved to death.

The toddler was found naked and malnourished    (C)24horas.cl

The mother was said to have finally turned up in a drunken state, and likely unaware she left her son without food or water in the desert port of Arica, the DailyMail reported. Speaking to the Star of Arica, Police Captain Diego Gajardo said the toddler displayed clear signs of 'abandonment'. He was seen by a passerby hungrily feeding from the pregnant canine, he said. The toddler was later released from hospital and temporarily placed in the care of local child welfare authorities. However, his mother has not been arrested. This is because the boy did not have any physical injuries, said Gajardo - despite confirming that the child was malnourished.
The boy's father later showed up at the hospital - although his role in the child's plight is unclear. It is also unclear where either parent was when the youngster was spotted in the mechanic's workshop. Marcela Labraña, of Chile's National Service For Minors, said he was extremely 'embarrassed' about the child's neglect in Arica, where thousands of people live in poverty in crowded slums. 'This is a story that gives us a lot of embarrassment,' he said, describing the situation as 'inhumane' and 'reprehensible'. 'We do not know for sure whether this (being fed by a dog) or not saved his life.'
The National Service for Minors has now filed a complaint for neglect in relation to the child.
A family court hearing is scheduled for September 22 to determine who will care for the boy.