The past few weeks have seen the lockdown of major cities in China, starting with Wuhan and other major cities in Hubei province, in response to the Covid-19 outbreak.

One unintended consequence of the lockdown was the neglect of pets whose owners were unable to return home to them, prompting the need for kind strangers to step in and help.

One such story that has made headlines is that of a golden retriever, named Zai Zai, in the Panyu district of Guangzhou.

Owner left for Chinese New Year

According to a post on Sina, Zai Zai's owner had gone to Hubei province to celebrate Chinese New Year.

However, due to the lockdowns in the province, Zai Zai's owner was unable to return.

Zai Zai was then trapped at home alone, running low on food and water.

A neighbour, a woman whose surname is Xu, noticed Zai Zai from an adjacent balcony.

She then used what appears to be a laundry pole to pass him the food -- such as ham sausage and homemade dog food, which he hungrily ate up -- through the bars of the window.

She also appeared to have cut open a water bottle in order to help him hydrate.

She ended up taking care of him by feeding him using the pole for six days.

Freed by landlord

Eventually, with the help of the building's landlord, Xu was able to free Zai Zai, who was then brought to a pet store to be taken care of.

According to the video, Zai Zai even became friends with another golden retriever at the pet store.

South China Morning Post reported that Zai Zai's owner has since promised to take him home.

You can watch the full video on Sina here, or on SCMP here:

Top image via Sina.