Little yellow dog

Taxi driver He Wei said he first noticed the little yellow dog hanging around the railway station in August or September of last year.

"At that time, it was very small and skinny, sometimes staying in the taxi waiting area, sometimes wandering around the square, quiet and gentle, never barking or running around," He said. "Over time, this little dog became fixed in many people's hearts."

Taxi drivers coming and going often played with it and brought it eggs and sausages to eat.

"As soon as one of the drivers called it, it would happily run over, wagging its tail," said He.

At first, the drivers called the puppy Xiaohuang, literally "little yellow". But as it grew, they gave it a more majestic name — Chief Huang.

By January, some of the local taxi drivers had pooled enough money to have the female dog spayed in a pet hospital. If the stray dog got pregnant, her life would become harder, the drivers reasoned.

"Chief Huang was a ray of light in my gloomy days," said He, who runs a poster design business online during the day, and drives for a ride-hailing service at night.

"One night, I parked my car near the square, lit a cigarette in frustration, and Chief Huang came to sit beside me. We sat quietly together for a long time," He said.

Every time he drove a taxi, He would go to the square to find the dog. Only after seeing it and playing with the dog, "just like an old friend," would he feel at ease.

On the evening of April 15, He went to look for the dog but couldn't find it. He went back the next day but couldn't see Chief Huang.

"We wait for passengers at the station every day. Chief Huang quietly keeps us company. Over time, it has become like family to us," said Fan Bin, a taxi driver.

"Seeing it there each day gives us peace of mind; if we don't see it for one day, everyone starts asking each other about it," said Fan.