Video of traffic cop's kindness to dog looking for food melts hearts

A video of a Shanghai traffic cop directing vehicles away from a dog looking for food at a crossroads in Putuo District has melted people's hearts.

In the video, a traffic cop in protective gear guides the dog to a safe place at the crossroads of Jiangning Road and Changshou Road.

Vivi Kong, who shot the video on Thursday, told Shanghai Daily that she paid attention to traffic police because they have worked very hard from sunup to sundown while Puxi was locked down.

"I filmed two video clips. When I was filming the first one, I worried about the dog. I sent the video to my friend who was in a WeChat group to help dogs. Later I found the officer was really nice and kept recording."

Kong said there's been much bad news recently so she hopes her video can bring some warmth to people's hearts.

"I also hope there can be a quarantine site for pets in Shanghai," she said.

According to Zhou Tao, the traffic police officer in the video, the dog ran to him from a corner while he was on duty.

"The dog sat in front of me and later turned around. I guessed it should be hungry (and looking for food)," Zhou said. "Later, when I was not that busy, I fetched some food and fed it."

"Although I don't have a pet, my grandma raises a dog and we see it as a member of our family. The dog can recognize each of us so I think animals have their own mind and should be taken care of as well."

On Wednesday, many pet-lovers felt heartbroken over the death of a corgi, which was beaten by a person wearing a protective suit.

The traffic cop video got 43,000 likes on Douyin, Chinese version of TikTok.

A Douyiner commented that although the dog can't talk, it understands humanity and knows the person could protect it.

Another joked that the dog was really smart, knowing it could turn to police for help when in trouble.