A disabled dog named Ping Pong has become the pride of his village in north-east Thailand, after rescuing a baby boy who had been buried alive by his teenage mother.

On Wednesday the canine’s sniffing and digging attracted the attention of farmers to a spot of ground in Ban Nong Kham village, in Cham Phuang district, north east of Bangkok. According to Ping Pong’s owner, the dog’s digging exposed the child’s legs, prompting locals to haul the infant to safety.

A 15-year-old girl, who has not been named, confessed to burying her baby and was charged with attempted murder. She said she had been scared of retribution from her father for getting pregnant. The girl’s family said they will look after the child, who was declared healthy after his rescue.

Lieutenant colonel Panuwat Puttakam, of Cham Phuang police, said: “The girl is now in the care of a psychologist and her parents because she is in great fear. She regrets what she did and said she acted on impulse without thinking it through. She feared her parents would find out she had been pregnant.”

The officer said that police were obliged to charge the girl with attempted murder, and that she would be questioned in the presence of child service workers.

Six year-old Ping Pong, who only has use of three of his legs, was filmed lapping up the attention of his community following the rescue. His owner Usa Nisaika, 41, said he raised the dog from birth and confirmed that he was a very good boy.

“I heard a dog barking and a baby crying in a cassava plantation, so I went there to check,” he told local media. “The dog was digging up a dirt pile and the baby’s legs emerged.”

He added: “Ping Pong was hit by a car, so he’s disabled. But I kept him because he’s so loyal and obedient, and always helps me out when I go into the fields to tend to my cattle. He’s loved by the entire village. It’s amazing he found the baby.”