An unleashed dog in Singapore has won the internet after it was photographed by The Straits Times with a bag over its head while out for a walk in Toa Payoh.

The incongruous image of the pup doing its own thing showed up as part of a gravely serious April 29 ST article, "Singapore's Covid-19 death rate low, but seniors vulnerable".

The article was shared on ST Facebook on the same day:

It was then shared more than 1,100 times, mainly due to the lack of explanation as to what was going on in the photo, which also featured a masked elderly woman on a bicycle behind the dog.

The context was lost on most as it didn't help that the Facebook caption read: "0.1% of Covid-19 patients succumb to the illness here. But that figure shoots up to about 20% for patients 80 and older."

Reactions on the post were: "Yeah that's terrible and all, but can someone explain what is happening with that dog, please? Please pray tell?"

Caption makes sense of scene

However, the caption for the photo inside the article helped make some sense of the scene.

The photo caption read: "A pet dog, with its head shielded with netting, and its owner in Toa Payoh on Monday. All 14 Covid-19 deaths in Singapore involved people aged 64 to 95, showing just how vulnerable older people are to the disease."

It then dawned on people that the dog was not caught in a bag by accident, but the netting was likely put on it to help stave off Covid-19 -- the same way humans wear masks to prevent breathing in coronavirus-tainted substances.

Dogs, with their tendency to sniff objects, are also a vulnerable species, given that a pet was previously tested with coronavirus, albeit in Hong Kong.

The dog's cutie pie status subsequently made a splash online, as another photo of the dog emerged:

The trend of allowing pets to wear masks started in China back in February when Covid-19 was in full swing there.

It turns out it is not necessary as its efficacy is doubtful.

Kudos to this dog in Toa Payoh for holding it together, even though it might have been terribly confused by its human's insistence that it goes out looking like a bank robber.