Xiao Bao, which means Little Treasure, is a seven-year-old male dog that has been spotted a couple of times along the lobby of the Wuhan Taiking Hospital in Central China’s Hubei Province in February.
Apparently, the dog has been waiting for his owner at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. Sadly, Xiao Bao’s human succumed to the virus after just five days and the dog refused to leave according to hospital cleaner Zhu Youzhen.
Unaware of what happened to his owner, Xiao Bao waited in the lobby of the hospital for more than three months, during which time he was fed by staff. When the lockdown restrictions and hospital supermarket reopened, he was then cared for by shopkeeper Wu Cuifen.
“I first noticed the little dog when I returned to work in the middle of April. I called him ‘Xiao Bao.’ That’s the name I gave him,” Wu 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.”
Wu said Xiao Bao refused to leave the hospital that even though they dropped him off somewhere far away, he would manage to make his way back to Taikang Hospital and continue to wait for his owner’s return.
“I grew familiar with the dog and later brought him into the shop. Ever morning when I opened up, Xiao Bao would be there waiting for me. He saw me off at the end of each day,” said Wu.
After receiving complaints from the hospital’s patients, Xiao Bao was taken in by the Wuhan Small Animal Protection Association. He was treated by vets as he they prepared him to be rehomed.
You might want to read:
– Loyal dog walks 125 miles to owner who abandoned her
– Companion animals can give seniors longer life
– How companion animals keep us happy during the pandemic
