Dog in China waits outside deceased owner's house for weeks, refused food & water from others

For weeks after its owner had passed, a pet dog in Shanghai continued to wait outside the house, refusing to eat and drink.

Its loyalty has moved the hearts of the residents in the area as well as people online.

The dog, nicknamed Ah Wang, has been dubbed by local media as Shanghai's Hachiko, referring to the dog in Japan that famously waited for its owner at a train station long after his death.

A sudden death

Ah Wang's owner, an elderly man surnamed Gao, had lived alone and kept the pet for close to a decade, according to South China Morning Post.

Neighbours expressed fondness for Ah Wang, describing it as an obedient dog that never barks at the children in the building.

On Dec. 11, Gao passed away due to a sudden illness, leaving Ah Wang alone.

The neighbours noticed the dog staying along the corridor outside Gao's house every day, as if it were waiting for Gao to return home.

Moved by the sight, neighbours placed clothes on the floor to keep the dog warm during the winter, and laid out some dog food.

However, Ah Wang would not touch the food.

Disappearance

On Jan. 6, Ah Wang suddenly disappeared, alarming and concerning the residents, especially as temperatures started to dip.

Some worried that the dog was looking to join its owner.

"According to a folk saying, if a dog stops eating and drinking for many days and then runs away, it is likely searching for a quiet place to die," a neighbour said, as quoted by SCMP. "We hope to find Ah Wang and save its life."

As the story spread online, the search for the dog grew, until it was finally found on Jan. 8.

Ah Wang did not go far — a resident saw it huddled in a grassy bush in the community.

She made a report when she saw the news about the search and realised the stray dog she had been feeding for two days was actually Ah Wang.

Ah Wang was trembling and crying the whole time, the resident said.

After it was found, officials at the residential committee's office fed it ham sausages. It was initially reluctant to eat, then devoured 10 sausages in a row one morning.

A manager from Shanghai Jiege Pet Animal Garden told local media that the owner's passing might have made the pet emotionally distressed or anxious, prompting it to hide in the bushes.

Ah Wang was later taken to a vet for a thorough physical examination.

New family

Fortunately, Ah Wang's story will have a happy ending.

Although Gao's son said that he did not wish to adopt Ah Wang, one of Gao's neighbours has eagerly offered to do so and provide it with a new home.

"I live near its owner and often played with it before. If it’s allowed, I would like to adopt it," the man, surnamed Huang, said, as quoted by SCMP.

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