Everyone knows that dogs are humankind's best friend. There are countless stories of them helping people across the world, keeping them company and staying loyal until their dying breath.
Well, that's been proven again by a dog in China who waited at a hospital for three months after its owner died from the coronavirus.
The seven-year-old mongrel, who was given the name Xiao Bao, which means Little Treasure in Chinese, was first noticed as the pandemic was getting underway in February.
The dog's owner was admitted to the Wuhan Taikang Hospital in central China's Hubei Province, however died five days later from the virus.
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Xiao Bao patiently waited in the hospital's lobby for three months, thinking he would one day see his elderly owner again.
Okay, who is cutting onions in here?
Staff at the hospital tried to remove the dog and took him far away from the facility, however the mongrel managed to find its way back.
It wasn't until mid-April when lockdown restrictions eased in China that the supermarket inside the hospital was allowed to reopen and the shopkeeper was able to properly feed and look after Xiao Bao.
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.
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"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 mid-May, the hospital at been hit with several complaints about Xiao Bao roaming the corridors of the hospital lobby. As a result, staff contacted the Wuhan Small Animal Protection Association, which has now taken the seven-year-old dog into their shelter.
Xiao Bao has been vaccinated and sterilised and the dog shelter is now looking through submissions to see where they should rehome him.
Featured Image Credit: Asia Wire