Seven Missing Dogs Led by Corgi Walk 17km Home in China, Sparking Viral Sensation
A remarkable story of canine resilience has captivated millions online after a video emerged showing seven dogs, led by a determined corgi, walking more than 17 kilometers back to their home village in China. The footage, which first appeared on March 15, depicts the pack navigating highways in Changchun, the capital of Jilin province, where overnight temperatures frequently drop below freezing.
Viral Video and Rescue Efforts
The video quickly went viral, amassing over 230 million views across various platforms. It features a diverse group of dogs, including a golden retriever, a Labrador, a German shepherd, and a Pekinese, all following the corgi later identified in Chinese media as Dapang, meaning "big fatty." Concerned for the animals' welfare in the harsh conditions, a volunteer from a local stray dog rescue center named Tong Tong took action.
"On the morning of March 18, I woke up to find it was snowing in Changchun," Tong Tong explained in a video posted by the rescue center. "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." Prior to this, she had been door-knocking in nearby villages and distributing missing dog flyers.
Happy Reunion and Theories Behind Disappearance
By March 19, reports confirmed that the dogs had successfully found their way home. Three of them, including Dapang, belonged to a woman living in a village near Changchun. She told Chinese media that she had been searching for her pets for four days and was nearly ready to give up when Dapang unexpectedly wandered back into the house on March 18. The owner then located the other dogs, who had been taken in by another villager.
The reason for their disappearance sparked widespread speculation online. Some netizens expressed fears that the dogs might have been kidnapped for dog meat, which remains a delicacy in certain parts of China. Others theorized they could have been stolen for resale as pets or other purposes, or simply wandered off on their own. On March 21, Jilin's provincial culture and tourism bureau stated that the dogs had left of their own accord, likely attracted by the German shepherd, who was in heat and known to disappear periodically.
Online Reactions and Official Warnings
The heartwarming story inspired a flood of emotional responses on social media. Many users joked that the adventure could be turned into a film or a real-life version of Paw Patrol, a popular Canadian cartoon about rescue dogs. "Watching this made me want to cry. Dogs are humans' friends forever," one Weibo user wrote.
However, state media issued a cautionary note, warning that the incident "reflects the shortcomings of online information dissemination – a mixture of true and false information, where subjective speculation is easily taken as fact and spread." This highlights the challenges of navigating viral content in the digital age.
The tale of these seven dogs not only showcases their incredible homing instincts but also underscores the deep bond between pets and their owners, resonating with animal lovers worldwide and sparking important conversations about pet safety and online misinformation.
