Dog owners are so caring and lovable towards their pets. A pet is like a family member and is treated like one by most pet parents. But what if you find out the pet you have been giving all your love and attention is not a dog but a wild animal? A pet dog owner from China was in for a shock when she found out that her cute little pooch, who she had been carefully tending from a year was a fox. Ms Wang had got herself a white pooch of Japanese spitz for £140. But as it grew she realised it was not a regular 'dog' thing.

Her supposed dog stopped eating dog food and chicken breasts after three months. Sun Letian, an expert in animal epidemic prevention at Taiyuan Zoo told Wang her pet was actually a fox. She had got him in last July from a pet shop. When she took her dog out for a walk, she noticed that the other dogs were scared and also certain park-goers told her it resembled a fox. "The fur got thicker when it reached three months old. Its face became pointy, and its tail grew longer than that of a normal dog. Other pet dogs seemed to be scared by my pet so I walked it with a leash," she said to a news channel.

The lady has now sent her pet to the zoo since then so that it receives proper nutrition and better facilities to be looked after. The authorities will take care of the animal and undertake health checks. "Based on the size, it is a domesticated fox. It carries a smell in their body, and the smell can get stronger as it grows older," explained Mr Sun, the expert. The fox is currently 12 inches long and will grow even more in the next few days. Although the fox will be under good care and attention now, Ms Wang will surely miss it. But the zoo authorities have assured that she can always come by and visit her 'pet' whenever she wants.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 10, 2018 12:25 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).