We simply don’t deserve the love and unending kindness of dogs.
Anyone who’s ever owned a dog will likely vouch for just how special they are – the bonds you form with a four-legged friend go further anything you could have anticipated.
So often it’s been proved that those bonds even go beyond the grave itself. Just as we mourn the loss of dogs when they cross over the Rainbow Bridge, there’s strong evidence to suggest dogs mourn us when we pass on.
One dog in China has made headlines after waiting at a hospital for three months after its owner died from coronavirus.
The seven-year-old mongrel, known as Xiao Bao – which translates to Little Treasure in Chinese – was first noticed when the pandemic was beginning in earnest back in February.
As per reports, Xiao’s owner was admitted to Wuhan Taikang Hospital, only to pass away five days later after a short battle with the virus.
Heartbreakingly, Xiao then waited in the hospital’s lobby for an astonishing three months for his owner. Hospital staff repeatedly tried to remove the dog, going as far as to take him far away from the building. However, each time he found his way back.
In mid-April, with restrictions being eased in China, the supermarket inside the hospital was able to reopen, allowing the shopkeeper to feed and take care of Xiao, who had been left without anyone.
Shopkeeper Wu Cuifen said: “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.
“It never left the hospital. It was incredibly touching, and so loyal. I grew familiar with the dog and later brought him into the shop.
“Every morning when I opened up, Xiao Bao would be there waiting for me. He saw me off at the end of each day.”
By the end of May, the hospital had received several complaints about Xiao roaming the corridors. Staff contacted the Wuhan Small Animal Protection Association, who have now taken him in with the aim of rehoming him.
What a truly sad story, and yet more proof that dogs really are man’s best friend.
My only hope now is that Xiao finds his loving forever home and is given all the cuddles and love he so obviously deserves.
Share this article if you, too, want to wish this pup well ❤️
