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

The abandoned child was left in a field by his mother, 15, to hide her pregnancy from her parents, the BBC reports.

Ping Pong was barking and frantically digging in a field in Ban Nong Kham village when he first attracted the attention of locals. His owner says he then noticed a baby’s leg sticking out of the earth and the rescue began.

“I have had Ping Pong since he was born and he has always been very loyal and obedient,” Nisaika told the Daily Mirror. “When he was younger a car hit him and his back leg was injured. He cannot use it but he still helps me when I’m herding cows.”

A day after the heroic rescue, police arrested the teenage mother for attempted murder.

She allegedly told police she was trying to hide the birth because she was afraid her parents would be angry at her.

Panuwat Puttakam, an officer at Chum Phuang police station, told the Bangkok Post she was now in the care of her parents and a psychologist.

He said that she regrets her actions and her parents have decided to raise the child.

Six-year-old Ping Pong is reportedly enjoying the attention that comes with being a hero.

His owner Usa Nisaika, 41, said he raised the dog from birth and confirmed that he was a very good boy, the Guardian reports.