'Dog boy' could leave Chile to find new home

Social workers in Chile are looking for a loving new home for the 11-year-old boy found living in a cave with a pack of stray dogs.

Experts from Chile's National Juvenile Service said the boy, named Axel, could leave the country.

A spokesperson said the new family did not have to be Chilean but had to be able to provide a loving environment for the boy who is psychologically scarred by his experiences.

Axel is under specialist supervision in the southern city of Talcahuano and is receiving therapy to help him re-enter society.

Doctors say Axel is unable to speak properly, is extremely violent and suffering from depression. He also has a severe attention deficit and shows signs of having used hard drugs.

Police found the boy living with a pack of dogs. He survived by scavenging food from rubbish bins and drinking dog's milk.

Axel was abandoned by his mother at an early age and passed through a number of children's homes before running away to live on the streets.

The boy is scheduled to be transferred to a psychiatric unit in the capital Santiago later this week.