He refused to eat or drink: dog in China rescues owner but dies 12 days later in animal shelter from separation anxiety

A loyal dog that raised the alarm when his owner had a stroke has died at an animal shelter while his owner recovers in hospital
The 9-year-old golden retriever and Labrador crossbreed refused to eat or drink while away from owner and died 12 days later

A hero dog in eastern China that saved his 78-year-old owner after he had a stroke has died after being separated from him and refusing to eat or drink, mainland media has reported.

The man, surnamed Yang, lives alone in an apartment in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, where he suffered a stroke late last month. He was taken to hospital after his dog’s out-of-character barking alerted neighbours that something was wrong, the City Express reported on Saturday.

The nine-year-old golden retriever and Labrador crossbreed, named Awang, was devoted to Yang, who had cared for him since he was a puppy.

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

When Yang suffered the stroke, Awang, usually a quiet dog, began barking loudly and continuously, said local police officer Shen Jianhuan.

The man's neighbours grew concerned when they heard the normally quiet dog barking strangely. Photo: 163.com

© Provided by South China Morning Post The man’s neighbours grew concerned when they heard the normally quiet dog barking strangely. Photo: 163.com

When they heard the barking Yang’s neighbours became concerned and called the police after knocks on Yang’s door went unanswered.

When officers broke into Yang’s flat, they found him pinned to the floor under a fallen chair.

“We said to the dog, ‘We’re here to save your owner.’ He seemed to understand and lay down quietly,” Shen said.

Replay Video

Awang was sent to a stray dog shelter by community workers a few days after Yang was sent to hospital.

Awang was kept in a cage by himself at the shelter and refused to eat or drink and died on December 2, said the shelter manager, surnamed Jin.

“We know that this dog saved his owner, just like any person saving another,” said Jin, who added shelter staff had paid special attention to Awang because of his bravery.

Alerted by neighbours who heard Awang's distressed barking, police found Yang pinned to the floor of his home by a fallen chair after he had a stroke. Photo: 163.com

© Provided by South China Morning Post Alerted by neighbours who heard Awang’s distressed barking, police found Yang pinned to the floor of his home by a fallen chair after he had a stroke. Photo: 163.com

However, he said many dogs died at the shelter due to the stress of being moved and found it impossible to adapt to the new environment.

Dogs taken to the shelter are kept in locked cages due to limited space, and do not get the same interaction with humans and exercise they would normally get at home, Jin said.

Last February, in another case of animal bravery in Zhejiang, police successfully tracked down a missing toddler within hours of his disappearance thanks to the family’s pet dog.

The dog followed the three-year-old boy and remained at his side as he wandered the streets, with officers finally locating the boy after spotting the dog in surveillance footage, local media reported.