Abandoned seven years ago by its owner, a Shiba Inu was sold for a whopping price at an auction

The story of this Shiba Inu is hardly believable. This male dog, named Deng Deng, was auctioned off by a Chaoyang District Court and sold for over 160,000 yuan (£18 500).

Seven years ago...

In 2014, Deng Deng was entrusted by his owner to a pet center in Beijing. The owner, nicknamed Xiao, decided to pay a year's placement fee.

Twelve months later, the animal center didn’t receive the slightest sign of Xiao. The man hadn’t picked up his dog and had even stopped paying the additional hospitality fees.

In 2017, the Chaoyang District Court therefore ordered Deng Deng's owner to come collect him and pay the unpaid fees to the animal center. Unfortunately, the request went unanswered. 

A year later, the Chinese justice decided to sell the dog in order to pay off Xiao’s debts. A decision which attracted the curiosity of many media. It also finally brought Deng Deng owner's attention! The man who was in fact abroad admitted his mistake and announced his intention to pay the animal center for all the unpaid fees.

100,000 people connected during auctions 

At the time, the court decided to cancel the sale. As promised, Xiao paid the fees for Deng Deng but he never picked up his dog.

Three years later (and seven years after being abandoned), the Shiba Inu is put up for auction again. But this time, the auction generated a huge interest with over 100 000 people who logged into WeChat (the most used instant messaging, social media and mobile payment app in China). 

In the end, more than 450 people bid. The opening price of 500 yuan (about £58) was quickly exceeded to reach 160,000 yuan.

According to Chinese media, the animal center who kept Deng Deng for seven years said they would make regular visits to make sure the dog is being well taken care of.