Photos by Wang Bin

 

BEIJING - A blind dog that became trapped in an uncovered well has been reunited with its owner more than two months after going missing.

Doudou, a 2-year-old Pekingese, had survived on food scraps thrown down to him by people living and working nearby who heard his barking.

"Although born with severe sight problems, Doudou always made it home after going for walks alone," said Meng Shasha, who adopted the dog from a friend in 2009. "Sometimes I'd find him at the door when I got back from work."

The 26-year-old finance worker was on a business trip when the animal went missing in October. She had left her pet with a friend.

"I searched for him in the streets and posted messages on the Internet," Meng said. "I burst into tears whenever I saw his picture. I thought it was hopeless."

A short while later, Wang Bin, a Peninsula City News reporter, received a call from a reader about a dog trapped in a well for almost 20 days.

"We went to the site with a veterinarian. We tried to hook him with a rope and a box, but it didn't work," said the journalist, whose story about the dog was published the next day and attracted comments from more than 200 readers.

Meng saw the report on Nov 9 and called Wang the next morning. He gave her the address of the well, which was outside a gas station and not far from Meng's home in Qingdao, a coastal city of Shandong province.

"Doudou started barking as soon as he heard my voice," Meng said. "He was excited and wanted to jump up."

The well was one of more than 10 in close proximity. Each was 2 meters deep and interconnected by pipes about 20 cm in diameter. None of the wells had covers.

Meng climbed down, causing the animal to initially flee. "Maybe he was scared by the loud voices of the people circling above ground," she said. "In the end, I just reached out my hand for him to sniff. He instantly recognized me and licked my hand."

After being pulled from the well, Doudou was given a quick health check and a shower, and was back home the same day.

"He's very active these days and follows me everywhere," Meng said. "Before he went missing, Doudou wasn't allowed in my bedroom. Now I have a mattress next to my bed for him to sleep in."

Xie Chuanjiao contributed to this story.