Wu Qi, known as “the father of China’s therapy dogs”, pioneered a scientific animal-assisted public welfare programme in the country.

The 44-year-old’s recent speech about his experience went viral online, raising awareness of the social value of therapy animals and the importance of scientific pet training.Wu, from eastern China’s Zhejiang province, graduated with a computer science major at the prestigious Nanjing University and had a well-paid job at a gaming company.

In 2006, he quit what was widely considered a great job and entered the pet industry. He first opened a pet park for two years, then a pet shop in a residential compound.

His father disapproved of his decision, called Wu’s friends and relatives to ban them from lending him money as well as badgering him to close the shop.

But Wu never thought of giving up.

As a child with minor autism, it was his first pet dog that he picked up from a rubbish bin at the age of nine that taught him to communicate with the world.

He kept a second pet dog, a husky, when he grew up.

After going home to discover a sofa torn to pieces by the husky, Wu sent him to a dog training centre, but found his pet had become timid and sensitive on its return.

This prompted him to self-study scientific pet training methods.

……tbc