A faithful dog that mourned its late owner to the point of being “severely depressed” has found a new home after being adopted by a Thai princess.

Images of the brown and white dog, named Moo Daeng (Thai for “red pork”), sleeping in front of a convenience store went viral on social media in January, reported The Nation.

The Mari-Mo Photography Facebook page, which has been posting photos of Moo Daeng since its owner’s death in November 2024, said in various posts that the dog had been living in front of a 7-Eleven outlet in Yamo Market, in the Mueang district of Nakhon Ratchasima province.

Moo Daeng’s photos were reposted by another more popular Facebook page, KoratForumSkyscrapercity, and eventually went viral on social media.

When Moo Daeng’s owner, a homeless man, was alive, he took his pet begging in the vicinity of the market for food and money during the day. They would regularly rest in front of the 7-Eleven store when night fell, according to The Nation.

However, Moo Daeng’s owner, whose name is not known, fell ill and died in November 2024.

Despite this, Moo Daeng would still lie in their regular spot, waiting for its owner to return.

The owners and staff of the 7-Eleven outlet began caring for the dog, feeding it and giving it blankets and a stuffed toy to accompany it on cold nights.

Moo Daeng’s story drew comparisons to Japan’s ever-faithful dog Hachiko, or Hachi, known worldwide for its undying loyalty to its owner even after his passing.

Moo Daeng was dubbed “Hachi of Korat” by social media users. Nakhon Ratchasima is also known as Korat for short.

Hachiko, whose 100th birthday was celebrated in November 2023, waited at a train station daily for nearly a decade for its master before its eventual death. Hachiko’s story led to it being recognised as a model of love and loyalty, becoming immortalised through various depictions in pop culture, including in the 2009 film Hachi: A Dog’s Tale starring Richard Gere.

KoratForumSkyscrapercity’s Facebook post featuring Moo Daeng went viral, garnering nearly 30,000 combined reactions in less than a day with an outpouring of support and appeals from social media users for someone to adopt the dog.

Moo Daeng’s story was even picked up by a Japanese news outlet, which came to film it for a video it was producing.

On Jan 22, Mari-Mo Photography said in a Facebook post that Princess Siribha Chudabhorn had adopted Moo Daeng with permission from the authorities and the owner of the 7-Eleven outlet.

Princess Siribha explained on her Facebook page that she had read about Moo Daeng’s story, and decided to take it in as it was sick and needed medical attention.

She noted that Moo Daeng was “severely depressed”, adding that she did not mean to take it away from the public, but was concerned for its physical and mental well-being.

Moo Daeng was taken to Kasetsart University Veterinary Hospital to undergo health checks, quarantine and acclimatisation.

After this is done, it will be sent to Princess Siribha’s royal residence in Chiang Mai to live out the rest of its days.

Princess Siribha, 42, is the eldest daughter of Princess Chulabhorn Walailak, who is the youngest daughter of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej and sister of Thailand’s current King Maha Vajiralongkorn.

She is known for her conservation and animal welfare work, and has some 30 stray dogs and cats in her residence.

“I love all the dogs and cats in my home equally like my own children,” she said in a post on her Facebook page on Jan 24.

“When Moo Daeng comes to live with his friends, I will love him as if he were my own child. I will continue to take pictures and update you.”

Asia News Network/The Straits Times