We do not deserve dogs. Lucky for us, they haven’t figured it out yet. Meet Moo Daeng from Korat, Thailand. No, not that Moo Deng, the fabulous baby pygmy hippo. This Moo Daeng is a canine, approximately 10 years old, and sadly lost his person a few months ago. But that didn’t stop Moo Daeng from waiting for his person to return to their usual haunt, a 7-Eleven. Every. Single. Day. Locals have been chipping in to care for Moo Daeng, but no one was able to adopt him…. until now. Thanks to a photographer routinely posting updates on Facebook, Moo Daeng’s story made it all the way to the Thai royal household, and he’s now been officially adopted by Princess Siribha Chudabhorn, niece of the King. From 7-Eleven to the palace!
A dog who waited outside a convenience store for months after his owner died finally got his happy ending — and royal status!
The dog, named Moo Daeng, reportedly waited in his usual spot outside a 7-Eleven in the Nakhon Ratchasima province of Thailand every day after his owner — who was homeless — died in November 2024, according to The Independent.
The pup quickly became a local fixture, with neighborhood residents banding together to help provide him with basic necessities like food and veterinary care, per the outlet.
A local photographer — who says a vet believes Moo Daeng is about 10 years old — began regularly sharing photos and updates about the pup on Facebook. The posts eventually caught the attention of Thai princess and animal welfare activist Siribha Chudabhorn.
Princess Siribha is the niece of the current king of Thailand, Maha Vajiralongkorn.
On Jan. 23, Princess Siribha’s team announced that she had officially adopted Moo Daeng — which means “red pig” in Thai — in an official Facebook post.
In the post, the princess updated the public on Moo Daeng’s adoption status, as well as emphasized her desire to help meet the dog’s current emotional needs.
“To all of Moo Daeng’s fans, I want to bring you up to speed so you don’t have to worry, feel anxious or have unanswered questions after all the recent drama,” the princess wrote, per The Independent.
Princess Siribha went on to explain that all of her pets have experienced some form of trauma, and that she believes it’s important to support the mental health as well as physical wellbeing of our furry friends.
“All my dogs have experienced trauma, whether through abuse, abandonment or injury. But in Moo Daeng’s case, it’s severe depression,” she continued, noting that she believes Moo Daeng is still coping with the loss of his past owner.
“While humans are able to hide their pain and appear normal on the outside, dogs are pure. They show exactly how they feel,” she added.
The princess also noted that she knows the public is deeply invested in her new pet, so she will continue to post photos and updates — and even bring Moo Daeng for in-person visits — when she is in the area.
I don’t know about you, but I really needed a loving, purely good story like this! With all the madness 2025 has wrought just one month in, it’s encouraging to see instances of people taking care of dogs in need. As for Moo Daeng, I’m so sorry for his recent loss, but my gosh does he look happy in photos! I swear, his tongue doubles the length of his face! And speaking of photos, I cannot get over the fact that he’s wearing a Playboy shirt. It appears (according to Facebook), that he hung out at 7-Eleven in the shirt, and I just love that they let him keep it on. Sure, he’s a prince now — but the Playboy polo stays! I hope he has a wonderful second act with Princess Siribha. And four paws up to the princess for taking him in and promising to share updates with his adoring fans. (Reminds me of another royal who likes to rescue…)
Also, another sweet detail is that apparently Moo Daeng is being called “Hachi of Korat,” which refers to an Akita named Hachiko who lived in Japan a century ago. Hachiko kept going to meet his person at the subway for a full nine years after his person died. There’s a statue of him in Tokyo! Like I said at the top, we don’t deserve these loyal, loving floofs. Even the ones who are playboys.
Photos via Facebook/Siribha Official
Who is cutting onions in here?? Tears of happiness for this story. So glad he is loved again.
Lol right? There must be a massive onion casserole in my kitchen!
It’s this kind of story that will help us smile and keep sweetness in our minds over the next few years. Enjoy your life, Moo Dog. Thank you Thai princess.
Thank you! We all needed a story like this! I remember once reading about the Hachiko as well. Dogs are such faithful pets. The story brought Guy to mind. I think I’m mourning Guy myself, so I can imagine the loss Meghan must feel. There was just something about that little beagle that endeared him to the public who read about him.
Awww! This is such a cute story. Something sweet to start the week and I love it. What a lovely story and I hope this doggie has a wonderful new life with the princess and her other pets! 💖💗
So happy for doggie Moo Daeng that he got adopted into a palace by someone who seems to care about the well-being of animals.
The greater story though for me is that the community cared for the dog — by not only providing food, but also veterinary care.
How sweet and reassuring to see there’s people out there who care.
Kismet, you share the best fur baby stories! This one really touches the hardest, blackest parts of my heart in these days of unfathomable, unending shitshow. Bless you.
For so many such stories, I follow Niall Harbison on Bluesky, Insta, and YouTube. He has an amazing place on one of the Thai islands where he rescues street dogs, feeds the ones who don’t need rescue, sterilizes every dog he can snag (the island is over 90% sterilized at the moment), and finds forever homes for every one he can — worldwide. Like the Princess, he very much addresses the mental health of these dogs, as well as some of the worst physical issues imaginable.
Thank you for sharing this story!
What a handsome boy! I love that she cares for the emotional health of dogs.
Something to think about: A very long time ago, I had a front end collision with a lady who turned in front of my vehicle. I had a lot of facial blood from a broken nose and some cuts, plus at the time I thought my right arm was broken. I had my small schnauzer sitting in the front seat, and I was taking her to the vet because she had a litter of small puppies and a teat infection. My car was totaled, and traffic was stopped all four ways.
An ambulance was on its way, but a very kind lady came over to my car and asked if she could take my dog for me. I told her about the pups and asked her if she could drop the dog at the vet which was just a mile down the road, and give them my name and phone number, which she did. My then-husband met the ambulance at the hospital, and my parents went to the vet and picked up the dog and took her home to her pups. She was not hurt–the blood on her was mine.
So, if you see a serious accident and people are being taken away by helicopter or ambulance, check to see if there are any pets in the car. They cannot go in the ambulance and usually police will not know what to do with them, so please stop and see if you can help out, getting the name and phone of the injured people if you can take the pet for care or just home with you for a few hours.
The hachiko statute is so cute, and when we saw it some people had put a bunch of kittens on and around it. Cuteness overload. There is a hachiko movie, but do not watch it unless you want to ugly cry throughout the whole thing
How can you not love this. Makes your heart happy.
Oh, my heart, what a story! Thank you!