Since mid-September, when she gave birth to a litter of seven puppies, the mixed-breed stray pooch has been in the care of students at Zhengzhou University in Henan province.

The video, which was shot on Monday, shows the tearful mother kissing her brown pup goodbye before sending it off with its new owner.

The female owner was spotted carrying the young pup in her arms to her scooter, as the concerned mother trailed after.

The mother dog came to a halt next to the owner’s scooter, head down, tail down, and ears drooping, as if pleading to see her pup again.

The owner lowered the young pooch to its mother, who kissed and licked it goodbye.

‘Don’t worry, I’ll take excellent care of your puppy,’ the owner was heard promising the mother dog.

The mother dog then turns her head and marches away, but not before returning one final glance at her adoring puppy.

Millions of people have been touched by the viral video, with many saying that the tragic parting looks like “something straight out of a movie.”

‘I’ve never seen something so sad!’ One person commented. ‘I’m sobbing.’ ‘Can they both be adopted together?’ said another.