Xiao Bai, dog treated to packs of chicken rice, dies
Dogs are lovable creatures that we can’t help but manja. And this sense of goodwill applies even to those that aren’t our own. Such is the case with this chicken rice stall owner in Sarawak, who never failed to pack a bag of chicken rice for Xiao Bai, a dog who often wandered into a hawker centre like a regular customer.
The dog’s adorable antics and wholesome friendship with humans transformed her into an Internet star among local communities. This is why many have been mourning her death after the chicken rice stall owner shared that she had died after being shot by a tranquiliser, allegedly at the hands of authorities.
Xiao Bai dies after tranquiliser shot
On 17th May 2021, Alex Sim, the owner of Goodman Chicken Rice, came out to share the unfortunate news in a short Facebook post, saying, “Bai, humans are terrible. Including me. RIP.”
Image credit: Alex Sim
The post garnered over 1,800 shares and 3,000 reactions at the time of writing, with many coming out to express their sadness over Xiao Bai’s death.
However, Sim did not give a reason as to how she had passed away, merely sharing in a follow-up Facebook post that he was, understandably, in a bad mood.
According to a report by China Press, the owner of Xiao Bai, who remained anonymous, shared that she died on Monday, 17th May, after she was found motionless with a tranquiliser dart in her body.
Image credit: Alex Sim
The owner also said that she had seen city council officers around the neighbourhood before her dog’s death. As such, she had tried to look for Xiao Bai, who often wandered around in the area, before they could get to her.
But she was, unfortunately, too late. She also shared that Xiao Bai had a litter of puppies, and they were found safe and sound.
She said that when she queried the officers about how Xiao Bai died, they allegedly told her that the tranquiliser was supposed to last for 2 hours only. They also reasoned that they shot Xiao Bai with a tranquiliser because she was an unlicensed dog that always wandered around, even after they had issued the owner a warning letter.
Regularly taken care of by local hawker stall
On Sim’s Facebook page, more than 5 videos with over 1,000 shares amassed of Xiao Bai dropping by the hawker centre can be found.
The last video, uploaded by Sim on 9th May for Mother’s Day, showed Xiao Bai’s latest wholesome antics at the hawker centre, even “waiting” in line, behind a physical distancing tape, to be served.
After she was handed a pack of takeaway chicken rice, she adorably took it in her mouth and left the restaurant – just like a regular customer.
Video credit: Alex Sim
Another video, shared back in October 2019 – which helped shot Xiao Bai to viral fame with over 280K views amassed – showed her resting and waiting for food while those around her praised her for her patience.
In that video, she was also shown taking the pack of chicken rice in her mouth and running off with it happily.
Video credit: Alex Sim
Xiao Bai dies after being shot by tranquiliser
Dogs, strays or not, most likely do not pose a danger to us when found wandering on the streets. But we understand people’s trepidation about seeing one unleashed, especially if they are not familiar with the animal. However, it’s up for debate whether they should be harmed just to keep them off the streets.
We send our condolences to the owner of Xiao Bai and puppies she had left behind, and anyone whose heart she’s touched during the pandemic.
Read more here:
- Dog lines up to “buy” roadside nasi lemak in Kuching
- Woman feeding stray dogs after sundown earns netizens praise
- Dog sacrifices life to protect Malaysian owners from snake
Cover image adapted from: Alex Sim