‘I have been waiting for my owner for seven years’: ‘Lonely’ shiba inu fetches $25K at Chinese auction
By Ryan General
An 8-year-old male shiba inu, which was abandoned by its owner at a foster care center for pets in 2014, recently fetched over 160,000 yuan (around $25,000) at an auction in China.
Boi finds a home: The dog named Deng Deng was put up for auction with a starting bid of 500 yuan ($78) on Wednesday morning by the Chaoyang District Court in Beijing, reported South China Morning Post.
- The previous owner, surnamed Xiao, paid Chong Le Hui to watch over Deng Deng for a year but failed to pick the dog up after the period lapsed.
- In 2017, the court ordered the owner to get his dog and pay all unpaid fees to the center.
- After numerous failed attempts by the center to reach Xiao, the court ordered the dog to be put up for auction in 2018, according to CGTN.
- When news of the scheduled auction circulated in local media, the owner called the court to admit his wrongdoings and pledge to pay his outstanding debts.
- The auction was canceled, and Xiao fulfilled his promise to settle his debts, but he failed to collect the dog and vanished again.
Wow, much bid, so fame: Deng Deng, who weighs 30.8 pounds and is 15.75 inches high and 19.68 inches long, was set up for auction a second time after its owner could no longer be contacted.
- Prior to the auction, the center created a Weibo account for the dog to drum up interest online.
- A message on the account read: “I have been waiting for my owner for seven years. I grew from a little dog to a middle-aged dog. I am lonely. I want to find a home for myself. I like to eat. I am healthy and obedient. Is there any kind-hearted brother or sister who wants to be my new owner?”
- While the bidding for Dengdeng was set to last for just 24 hours, the increased interest prompted an extension up until Thursday afternoon.
- The auction, which was livestreamed on Taobao, had over 100,000 people watching and 480 people bidding.
- According to the center, it will visit Deng Deng in the home of its new owner to check on him in the future.
Featured Image via CGTN
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