Neighbours found the decomposing body of Sujitra Junnid at her shanty house near the Prok Suthammaram Temple in Moo 5 village in Tambon Bang Kae of Samut Songkram’s Amphawa district and alerted police.
Police, village head Yupha Wechakarn and officials from the Sappa Rachen foundation arrived at the house at 8.30am.
They found the decomposed body and rescued the dog, who was said to look at them with “sad eyes”, and her four puppies.
Officials said the woman died of natural causes.
She had been living alone and depending on meagre wages from the temple in return for doing various jobs. She kept the 10-year-old female dog as a pet.
After it had the puppies, she put the dog in a cage and her neighbours came to feed the animals once in a while.
Officials said the woman apparently died two days earlier. The foundation will put the dog and puppies for adoption.