Video footage captures the moment a retired police dog is reunited with her former handler, with social media users saying she appears to 'cry'.
The eight-year-old German Shepherd, named Wangwang, worked as a sniffer dog at security checkpoints in Xichuan county in Henan province, central China.
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According to the Daily Star, she was adopted after retiring in June 2019, which meant Wangwang found a new home - and in turn was separated from her handler after years of working together.
However, last month, her old colleague decided to pay a surprise visit to his four-legged friend, having been out patrolling in a neighbourhood near Wangwang's home.
Footage of their reunion was shared on the Douyin - which is like the Chinese version of TikTok - on Xichuan Police's Douyin account.
In the clip, the police officer can be seen outside Wangwang's home, calling for her.
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As she realises who's waiting for her, a very excitable Wangwang rushes out of the front door to greet her old friend, running up to him before immediately lying on the floor for cuddles.
Social media users found the emotional moment heartwarming, with some even claiming they could hear the pooch let out a little 'cry' as she was reunited with her handler.
One wrote: "The dog is welling up. Dogs are really loyal companions, please treat her well!"
Someone else said: "You can tell how much Wangwang misses her handler. You can understand when the dog greets you belly up."
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Others asked why the poor dog wasn't allowed to stay with her handler anymore, seeing as she clearly has a strong bond with him.
But Xichuan Police answered in the comments to say that it would simply be too much of a commitment for officers.
The police force explained: "Police dogs are generally well fed at the training centre but our officers could not dedicate their time to play or exercise with retired dogs.
"They will be better looked after in a suitable family than staying in the training centre."
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Hopefully Wangwang's former handler will be out patrolling in her neighbourhood again sometime soon, so that they can catch up and reminisce about the good old days together.
I mean, if I knew I could get that reaction from a furry friend, I'd be making excuses to drop by at any given opportunity - what an ego boost!
Featured Image Credit: Douyin/BWBD