Seven missing dogs trek 17km back to their village after great escape in China

Seven stolen dogs escaped from thieves together in China, returning to their home village in a 17km trek. They were led by a corgi. Photo / YouTube

A group of seven dogs were seen walking along a motorway in China amid claims they had escaped from a butcher’s van.

The pack, which included a golden retriever and an injured German shepherd, was led by a corgi named Dapang as they moved along the highway in Changchun, the capital of China’s north-east Jilin province.

Video footage of their 17km journey has been shared widely across social media, racking up more than 200 million views.

According to the Bitter Coffee Stray Dog Base, the dogs were from the same village and were previously known to roam together. They were reported missing on March 15.

The base sent a number of volunteers and a drone to track the dogs and ensure they returned home.

The publisher of one video, Lu, said the group “resembled a band of little brothers in distress, moving in unison – nothing like stray dogs”.

He said the dogs ignored his calls to come to safety, prompting him to call the local authorities.

Dogs ‘stolen by meat shop’

One volunteer at the rescue centre said the animals had been stolen by an animal meat shop and that the canines managed to escape from a truck, though no one witnessed their departure.

Tong Tong said in a video posted by the centre: “On the morning of 18 March, I woke up to find it was snowing in Changchun. I was especially worried about the seven dogs, afraid that they hadn’t eaten or drunk anything. So I borrowed a drone and set off to search for them.”

Three of the dogs, including Dapang, belonged to the same woman. She told Chinese media that she had nearly given up looking for her pets when they showed up.

The other dogs were taken in by another villager.

Dog meat is still consumed as a delicacy in some parts of northern China, though dog farms are rare, as raising dogs is expensive.

As a result, dog meat shop owners often find stray and stolen pets to be the cheapest source of meat, according to the Dalian Animal Protection Association.

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