If anyone’s wondering what veteran Taiwanese singer Fei Yu-ching has been up to ever since he retired from showbiz late last year, doing good deeds is definitely one thing on his list.

Last Thursday (Dec 17), an animal shelter in Tainan revealed that the 65-year-old star had donated NT$1mil (S$47,000) to them the day before. The shelter, which houses over 4,000 cats and dogs across three locations, posted a photo of the donation receipt on their Facebook page and thanked Yu-ching for his kind and generous contribution.

They also shared that he got his assistant to relay his gratitude to all the frontline workers and volunteers at the shelter.

Yu-ching is known for being an animal lover and was a proud — and protective — paw-rent to several chihuahuas. According to Taiwanese media, he once told a dramatic story about saving his dog from an eagle that was swooping down to catch it by running up and scooping the pooch into his arms, totally unconcerned for his own safety.

However, after his beloved fur-kids passed away, he was too heartbroken to keep anymore pets and turned his attention to caring for strays instead. In 2015, he gave a total of NT$6mil (S$283,000) to seven animal shelters, and last year, he donated another NT$1mil to a fundraiser that feeds cats and dogs.

Needless to say, Yu-ching’s charitable act was highly praised by netizens, who thanked him for being so warm, kind-hearted, and caring when it comes to animals.

Yu-ching himself, however, doesn’t seem to see himself as the hero — in a statement released through his manager, he lauded the shelter workers for always working so tirelessly to help the “children” (referring to the animals), and said that he hopes that they will inspire others to step up to do the same.

The manager also shared a brief update on his post-retirement whereabouts, saying that Yu-ching has been enjoying a “very simple” and “relaxed” life, with no stress from work to worry about. When he’s not taking trips to the outskirts or being a foodie trying highly recommended new dishes, he’s tending to his garden at home, and he may even have pets again.

Photos: 费玉清贴吧/Weibo, 徐文良（徐园长护生园）/Facebook, Apple Daily, TPG