Dog That Stood Months on Busy Roadway Where Owner Died Has a New Home

The bonds forged between dogs and their people are some of the strongest that exist in this world, often continuing even after one passes on and leaves the other behind. If you need proof, look no further than the recent story of a dog that was frequently sighted over the last few months waiting at the place of her owner’s death—a busy road in the city of Hohhot in Inner Mongolia.

The unnamed dog visited the same area of the road since August 21st, and whether she was showing up to mourn the loss of her owner or to wait for her return, she remained steadfast to the point that neither traffic nor bad weather could stop her from making the daily trek.

“This owner's relationship with her dog was very deep. After she was killed, this little dog has just stayed standing guard,” a taxi driver told Chinese news platform Pear Video in a segment that went viral. “Every day it's in the road; I always see it. The relationship between man and dog is so true,” to which he added, “Drivers often give the little dog bits of food, but when we get out, [she] goes away.”

The little dog was so devoted to her owner that she wouldn’t even allow any of the concerned passersby to get near her. But as much as her ironclad determination and loyalty captivated the hearts of locals and dog lovers across the globe, the sad reality was that her behavior, while admirable, could lead to another tragedy. The road where her owner had died was a busy one, and harsh, cold weather was beginning to set in.

Finally, after countless escapes from well-meaning strangers, animal control managed to apprehend the dog and bring her in. But, with her owner dead and no one claiming responsibility for her, many wondered what would happen to the dog. Even if she was taken into a local shelter, she was still without a permanent home, and there was no guarantee that the shelter would be a no-kill facility. Volunteers attempted to contact family members of the deceased owner who might be able to step in and take care of the dog, but their efforts were unsuccessful.

But, as luck would have it, the dog’s stay with the authorities turned out to be very brief. Hohhot resident Zhang Lei, moved by the pure devotion she had seen from the dog online, decided to fill out the paperwork to adopt her the same day that she was brought in.

“I was touched, no matter for whom the dog was waiting for,” Zhang told the state-owned China News Service. “I want to give her a home.”

After all she’s had to endure these last three months, it’s great to see this heartbroken little dog receive some much-needed care and affection—hopefully it will be enough to keep her at home and off of the busy Hohhot streets!