A loyal pup refused to leave its owner’s side after she passed out on the street in north China.

The woman suddenly fainted while walking her golden retriever in Daqing city and passers-by immediately alerted emergency services.

Touched by the dog’s persistence, paramedics at the scene made a special exception and allowed the pet to board the ambulance with the owner.

The dog was seen running in circles, distressed that its owner was not moving.

It was also seen frantically clinging onto the stretcher that was carrying its owner towards the ambulance.

The faithful pooch hopped onto the ambulance and watched over its owner like a guardian angel while they were both transported to Daqing People’s Hospital.

After the pair arrived at the emergency department, doctors allowed the faithful pet to sit outside the treatment room.

As soon as the woman regained her consciousness, the first thing that came out of her mouth was the name of her beloved pet.

The dog came dashing towards its owner, elated that she has recovered.

‘When we saw the patient hugging her dog, we knew we did the right thing by allowing it to tag along,’ Zhang Jihong, the hospital’s head nurse, told The Paper.

The patient works as a bartender and had too much to drink the night before, according to the report. She has now been discharged from hospital.

‘At first, we were afraid to approach the woman directly since the dog is a rather large one,’ Yu Jingjing, a nurse at the emergency department of the Daqing People’s Hospital, told reporters.

‘However, while the dog was very protective of its owner, it did not show any signs of aggression towards us,’ she added.

‘When we approached the woman lying on the ground, the dog appeared to be happy that we were there to help its owner.’

Yu stressed that under normal circumstances, no pets are allowed during the emergency medical transportation to protect the ambulance crew.