Adopted stray ‘puppy’ turns out to be raccoon dog

A Shanghai resident recently found out the “puppy” she had raised for 2 months is actually a raccoon dog.

The woman revealed that she'd found the newborn animal in her garden, hidden in a pile of fallen leaves, while the city was under lockdown.

For a month, the tiny pup - named Jixiang - slept inside the house and was only identified as a racoon dog when the woman sent photos of it to her friend, who is an “animal expert”.

On 9 June, it was sent to the Shanghai Zoo for professional care.

Click here to sign up for our newsletters.