A micro blog posting by a senior citizen living on his own promising a house as reward for bringing back his pet dog has drawn netizens' attention and triggered heated online discussion. It is not news that modern people treat their pets as family members, but the man's identity as an empty nester makes it seems especially poignant, says an article on rednet.cn. Excerpts:

The son of the old man may have his reasons for not being able to take care of his father, the dog he gave as gift at least shows he is aware of his father's loneliness and is a way of fulfilling his filial piety in a different way. And the pet has indeed been a good companion.

Perhaps a family reunion during Spring Festival gave the man some emotional support and to some extent relieved the sadness he feels because of his missing dog, but after the holiday he was on his own again and he began to miss his companion of seven years. This is what prompted him to offer the huge reward. For the elderly, what they most rely on during their twilight years is the family bond. However, it seems quite difficult for the elderly with the younger generation fighting for brighter careers away from home.

The "house-for-dog" reward reflects this social problem. For senior citizens a society where the emotional needs of empty nesters have to be met by pets cannot be a happy place to live. Both society and family members should work out ways to ensure the elderly get the care and support they need.

(China Daily 02/21/2013 page9)