A dog abandoned by its owner at a pet hotel in Beijing has gone viral after a local court announced its auction last week.
Deng Deng, a 4-year-old Shiba Inu, was left by his owner at Happy Pampering Pet Hotel three years ago, Beijing News reported.
The owner, identified as Xiao Moumou, first sent him to the pet hotel in October 2014, according to Southern Metropolis Daily.
More visits succeeded until February 2015, when Xiao last showed up at the pet hotel.
Convinced that Xiao will never retrieve Deng Deng, the pet hotel filed a lawsuit demanding compensation for the care they had provided.
Unfortunately, the Beijing Chaoyang court failed to track Xiao down.
As a result, the court instead put the dog up for auction in hopes of addressing the pet hotel’s financial demand.
In an ad widely shared on Chinese social media, the court placed Deng Deng under the “movable property” category.
Deng Deng, who has been spayed and vaccinated, measures 40 centimeters (16 inches) tall, 50 centimeters 20 inches) long, and weighs about 10 kilograms (22 pounds), the ad noted.
The announcement has been viewed more than 200,000 times, with some 2,200 people registering to participate in the auction.
Netizens — who initially thought the ad was fake — have sent well-wishes to the abandoned dog.
“I hope this cute dog finds a new home soon.”
“I also signed up for the auction.”
“I’m so sad that the dog was marked ‘movable property’ yet I couldn’t help but laugh.”
“The pet hotel has done a good job taking care of the dog for years.”
“Although I like it very much, I basically have to wait for us to retire before we can raise it. If we raise it now, we will be responsible for it for a lifetime.”
Deng Deng’s auction is scheduled on Nov. 10 and will start at 500 yuan ($72).
