Life imitates art in a tale of canine loyalty
A dog is man’s best friend, beloved for remarkable loyalty to their owners, making them more of a companion than a pet.
In eastern China, the story of a dog named Big Yellow, who ran 40km back to his original home after his owner died, went viral in China and drew comparisons to the famous film Hachi: A Dog’s Tale starring Richard Gere.
Big Yellow, an eight-year-old village dog, had initially been adopted by the owner’s son after the father’s death last year, but, according to a woman surnamed Li who shared the story, “the dog sneaked out and returned to the village after about a week”.
“Perhaps he does not understand what death means and why the person who loved him the most is no longer with him,” she said.
Listening to what the dog was “telling” him, the son decided to let the dog stay in the village, said Li, who shared the story on Douyin, China’s TikTok.
Now Big Yellow spends his days wandering around an old alley where he used to play with his owner or waiting in front of a house where he once spent hours laying at his master’s feet.
He remains well behaved and stays in his territory. In one of Li’s videos, he only entered her yard after she called him several times. When Li offered him food, Big Yellow waited for her to drop it on the ground before he ate it.
Hachi: A Dog’s Tale follows a similar plot, except the dog greeted his owner at a railway station every day and continued to visit the waiting spot even after the owner died for nine more years until his own death.
“I did not expect Big Yellow’s story to go viral,” said Li, a dog owner. “I just casually took the video because I love dogs.”
She says neighbours often bring Big Yellow food to honour his loyalty and memorialise his owner. The owner’s son also visits regularly to see how he is doing.
“He has been well cared for in the village, where most of the residents are elderly. Few outsiders come to visit,” said Li in response to concerns that someone might steal him.
Many people were moved by the dog’s loyalty and shared their own stories. “This dog has lost everything. All the dog wants to do is wait for his owner to return,” one person commented.
Another said: “He reminded me of my aunt’s dog, who was distraught when my aunt died and accompanied her by the coffin for a few days without eating and drinking.”