A dog in China is now up for adoption after staying in the hospital where its owner died three months ago.
The mutt, which has been named Xiao Bao (Little Treasure), refused to leave Hubei’s Wuhan Taikang Hospital, where its owner was confined last February, the Daily Star reported on Monday, May 25.
Sadly, the dog never saw his owner leave the hospital. The man in his 70s died from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) after about a week.
Xiao Bao has been hanging around in front of the hospital and at the lobby, and would get fed by medical staff and cleaning staff.
A hospital supermarket shopkeeper, Wu Cuifen, cared for the dog after lockdown restrictions loosened in April and the supermarket reopened. Wu, who gave Xiao Bao his name, said she brought the dog far away but it would return to the hospital.
However, Xiao Bao’s stay in the hospital was cut short as complaints were sent that the dog was going around the corridors. Nurses called an animal welfare organization, Wuhan Small Animal Protection Association, to care for the dog.
Last May 20, Wuhan Small Animal Protection Association head Du Fan took Xiao Bao to a vet. The dog is relatively healthy save for a skin disease. He is also estimated to be about 7 years old.
Xiao Bao is now up for adoption, with dozens of applications being carefully screened, especially considering his senior age. Some conditions include that the adopter must get their family’s consent to bring home the dog, that the owner has a stable job and that the family is based in Wuhan so that the organization can check on the dog. /ra
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