Story By: John Feng, Sub-Editor:  Joseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report

This video that has notched up over 60 million views shows a woman who used a wooden pole to deliver food and water to a dog left starving after its owner was locked down in quarantine and unable to return.

The kind woman carried on feeding and giving waters of the dog for six days after the pooch’s owner ended up in lockdown in the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak and could not return home to care for her pet.

Ms Xu, 31, spotted the pooch named ‘Zai Zai’ lying on a set of window security bars in the building opposite her in Guangzhou’s Panyu District in China’s southern province of Guangzhou.

Zai Zai is believed to have been left with a few days of kibble and water as its owner returned to his hometown in Central China’s Hubei Province during the Chinese New Year holidays starting 23rd January.

However, the province was put on lockdown just a few days later when the novel coronavirus – now officially known as COVID-19 – outbreak led to a global public health crisis.

Zai Zai, who never barks, was then left at home alone, with no one else besides Ms Xu apparently aware that he was not being fed.

Ms Xu, who owns two cats, said: “At first I only monitored what was happening in the flat across my window. One day I virtually spent the whole day watching.

“Eventually I was certain that no one was home, and that the dog likely climbed onto the window bars because it was starving.

“At that time, I guessed its owner was probably from Hubei, and couldn’t return due to the outbreak.”

Using a lengthy clothes hanger reacher, Ms Xu fed Zai Zai a sausage and cut an opening into a plastic bottle to create a makeshift water bowl.

She also fed the golden retriever buns and kibble – until one day Zai Zai was unable to jump back onto the window.

According to Ms Xu, the hapless dog had knocked over a bottle of peanut cooking oil and made the floor too slippery.

She hung a note on the building’s door, hoping someone would see it and help free the dog.

The residential building’s manager eventually got in touch with Ms Xu, saying he knows the owner and the dog, but he had no idea the animal was at home alone because Zai Zai never barks.

Footage shows the happy pooch being freed after six days of being fed by the kind neighbour in the adjacent building.

It has been taken in by a local pet shop owner, who also owns a golden retriever, and who has promised to return Zai Zai when its owner eventually returns from quarantine.

Ms Xu said: “A life is a life. I couldn’t have just stood by and watched.”

She added: “Zai Zai was so skinny, and one of its legs looked injured, so it was hobbling.

“But it was so happy to see me, it kept doing circles!”

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