Service Dog Stolen From A Blind Man Returned With Apology Note

Don't mess with a man's dog.

In case there's any doubt about that, consider what happened after a blind man's service dog was stolen this week in China.

The country erupted in a chorus of indignation, sending howls of "what kind of monster" and variations on "get that motherf%#er" across the social mediaverse.

The dog, named Qiaoqiao, was a 7-year-old Labrador mix, according to the state newspaper, Xinhua.

And to her owner, Tian Fengbo, she was everything.

"Qiaoqiao always accompanied me. She was like a friend to me. Now I feel like I've lost a close friend," Tian reportedly told local reporters after Qiaoqiao was taken by men in a van while Tian was walking her.

Saying he could hardly eat or sleep since his dog was taken, Tian's heartache struck a powerful nerve across the nation.

And at some point, even the dognappers appear to have gotten the message.

The very next day, Qiaoqiao was found with a note attached to her collar. It read, "We were wrong ... we beg pardon."

While the case of who pilfered this pooch, thankfully, came to a happy resolution, it's safe to say Qiaoqiao is among the minority of happy dog endings.

While we may never know why Qiaoqiao was stolen, perhaps the outcry over his beloved companion might lend a voice to the tens of thousands of dogs who are not so fortunate.