Pals until the end: Heartbreaking pictures of the male dog who refused to leave female companion's side after she was killed by a car

This touching scene shows how one loyal dog refuses to leave his mate's side - even after she was knocked down and killed by a car.

The devoted canine had been walking through Quanzhou, in southeast China, when tragedy struck and his mate was hit by an oncoming vehicle.

But rather than abandon his female companion, the grieving animal sat by her body long after she had passed away.

Mates forever: The mourning male dog paws at his tragic partner after she was knocked down by a car in south east China I'm not leaving you: A passer-by placed the dog's body by the side of the road, but even that did not deter the loyal canine

The two dogs were said to be strays and were often seen together

The male dog patted, barked, and licked its body after the road accident until a passer-by moved the dog's body out of the road.

Even after that the trusty dog remained faithful to his partner by sitting next to her body on the pavement.

Locals in the area said the two dogs were thought to both be strays.

They were thought to be long-term partners and had always been seen together, according to another resident in Fujian Province.



One unnamed resident in Quanzhou said: 'They are together all the time.



'Usually it's the wife that runs out first followed by the husband.

'It was horrible and unpleasant to see that the dog didn't make it, and touching that her partner didn't seem to want to leave her behind.'



Eventually, the body of the female dog was removed by a sanitation worker after meeting her untimely end in south east China.



But even after having her removed, the male dog still refused to leave and remained smelling the floor where his mate had been.

Touching: The male stray dog did not want to be parted from his tragic mate, and appeared determined to stay by her side until the bitter end