Police Rescue Neglected Toddler Who Survived By Breastfeeding From Dog

A starving boy - abandoned by his parents - was saved after being breastfed by a dog.The malnourished two-year-old was miraculously rescued by the pregnant canine.Naked and dirty, he was discovered in a rundown mechanic's workshop in Chile on Thursday.

His drunken mother left him there without food or water, according to reports.

 Footage above shows the dire, unhealthy conditions in which the boy was found.

Local media in Arica report he was seen sipping on milk from the dog - called 'Reina'.

The neglected youngster, who police say hardly had any clothes on and looked badly neglected, was spotted by his neighbour Lory Escudero.

She said: "Our dog is pregnant and the hungry boy suckled on the dog's teats for milk.

"We're all parents and if you saw what we saw, from my position as a woman, as a mother, it was terrible."

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 boy was taken to hospital where he was treated for malnutrition, skin infections and head lice.

He's now under the care of welfare authorities after spending a day in hospital.

Police said his mother attended the hospital but was drunk.

 However, they said she has not been arrested as there was no physical harm to the child.

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.

Mirror.co.uk reportage

OMG...DOG BREAST MILK? *pukes*