A dog that was abandoned at a Beijing kennel has since become an internet sensation after a local court put the pooch up for auction to cover his boarding bills.
"Dengdeng," a four-year-old Shiba Inu, was dropped off at the pet center back in 2014 by his owner surnamed Xiao, who paid the 12,000 yuan ($1,730) annual boarding fee.
However, Xiao never showed up to claim the dog the following year and dodged numerous attempts by staff to contact him.
"A dog is not just a thing without feelings… We love animals and definitely wouldn't just get rid of him," said the pet center's manager, surnamed Wang.
The center has so far eaten more than 20,000 yuan in costs for Dengdeng's care ever since, Wang added.
The pet center filed a lawsuit against Xiao with the Beijing Chaoyang District Court in 2016.
When Xiao failed to show up to the hearing, the court ordered to put Dengdeng up for auction.
However, Wang insists that it's not about the money.
"The auction isn't about recovering our costs, it's about finding Dengdeng a new owner," Wang said.
Dengdeng goes up for auction on Taobao on November 10 with a starting bid of 500 yuan.
As of press time, 2,088 people have registered for the auction, while more than 220,000 people have viewed the page.
