Main image via Daily Mail + Mothership
Dogs have shown us time and time again as to why they’re called man’s best friend and this doggo from China has proven that their loyalty knows no bounds even after death.
The doggo recently gained the internet’s love and went viral for having waited for his owner outside a hospital for three months although its owner had already passed away from COVID-19.
Image via Daily Mail
The seven-year-old male mongrel had arrived at the Wuhan Taikang Hospital in Central China’s Hubei Province with his elderly owner during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in February.
Unfortunately, the owner succumbed to the virus and passed away five days after being admitted to the hospital. But, the doggo did not know about his owner’s passing and continued to wait patiently for him.
According to hospital cleaner Zhu You Zhen, the dog refused to leave as he probably thought that its owner was still warded in the hospital, and his wait soon turned into three months worth of waiting.
Image via Daily Mail
The hospital cleaner recalled that the dog was initially very shy and only lingered outside the hospital building.
During the three months, many medical workers and staff at the hospital began to care for the dog and they even gave him the name “Xiao Bao” which means “Little Gem” or “Little Treasure” in Mandarin.
Wu Cui Fen, owner of a supermarket that operates near the hospital, said that she would occasionally feel Xiao Bao with sausages while he waited.
The doggo soon got comfortable with the supermarket owner and it would come to her every morning at 8am when she opened the store.
“I first noticed the little dog when I returned to wirk in the middle of April. I called him ‘Xiao Bao,’ she said. “That’s the name I gave him.”
“They told me Xiao Bao’s owner, a pensioner, was admitted with the coronavirus. Then he passed away, but Xiao Bao didn’t know and just stayed in the hospital looking for him,” the supermarket added.
Image via Mothership
“I grew familiar with the dog and later brought him into the shop,” Miss Wu said. “Every morning when I opened up, Xiao Bao would be there waiting for me. He saw me off at the end of each day.”
According to the supermarket owner, the doggo refused to leave the hospital. Even when the staff deliberately dropped him off somewhere far away, the incredibly loyal doggo would make his way back to the hospital to patiently wait for his owner to return.
Image via Daily Mail
When Taikang Hospital started filling up with regular patients, the staff received complaints and concerns with Xiao Bao roaming the corridors.
The nurses contacted the Wuhan Small Animal Protection Association where its members took him in.
The doggo was treated by veterinarians and has also been sterilized as he prepares to find his next forever home.
The association’s director Du Fan noted that the shelter is currently vetting animal lovers who have volunteered to foster Xiao Bao.
Image via Daily Mail
We hope Xiao Bao finds the perfect forever home and we know that his new family would be loved forever by this loyal doggo.
Do you know of any loyal pets like Xiao Bao? Share their story with us!
In the meantime, be sure to keep playing your part by staying safe and staying home, and only going out if it’s absolutely necessary. And if you’re going out, be sure to practice social distancing.
Stay updated with the latest COVID-19 news here: https://en.syok.my/covid-19
Info via Daily Mail