Street dogs protect newborn abandoned outside public toilet in West Bengal

A pack of stray dogs helped protect an abandoned newborn boy in the early hours of Monday, prompting local police and child welfare officials to open an investigation into the incident.

Residents of the Swarupnagar Rail Colony in Nabadwip, West Bengal, reported that the dogs had formed a ring around the infant, who was found outside a public toilet, reports Times of India.

According to local accounts, the animals stayed near the "mewling baby" through the night and dispersed only after the child was taken to safety at dawn.

The infant was discovered by Radha Bhowmick, a resident of the colony, on her way to the toilet. She found the newborn surrounded by the dogs and lifted him from the ground. Bhowmick's niece-in-law, Priti Bhowmick, then took the child to Maheshganj Hospital.

Doctors later transferred the boy to Krishnanagar Sadar Hospital. They reported no external injuries, though blood was visible on his head, which staff said was likely associated with birth.

Police in Nabadwip said preliminary findings suggest the newborn was abandoned shortly after delivery by someone from the local area. Officials from Childline have been alerted, and the Child Welfare Committee has been contacted to determine longer-term care for the child.

Reflecting on the dogs' behaviour, Radha Bhowmick said, "Those dogs, the ones we often chase away, did what many humans wouldn't. They kept the baby alive."

A similar case was reported nine years ago in Kolkata, when four stray dogs guarded an abandoned newborn girl until she was rescued.