Faithful dog waits for 80 days by Chinese road where owner died

A faithful dog has been waiting for more than 80 days by a busy Chinese highway after its owner died there.

Footage of the devoted canine braving the traffic in the city of Hohhot in Inner Mongolia has been viewed 1.5 million times on the Chinese microblogging site Sina Weibo.

The video filmed on Saturday shows the animal walking on the side of the road in an apparent act of mourning for its owner.

It has been there every day since she died on August 21, according to China’s Pear Video website.

A taxi driver told the BBC how the dog runs away when people approach to try and help.

"Drivers often give the little dog bits of food, but when we get out, he goes away," he said.

"This owner's relationship with her dog was very deep. After she was killed, this little dog has just stayed standing guard.

"Every day it's in the road, I always see it. The relationship between man and dog is so true."

It is unclear how the dog’s owner died.

Social media commenters admired the animal’s “loyalty”, while others expressed concerns for its safety.