Corgi Leads Pack of Seven Missing Dogs on Epic 17km Journey Home in China
A heartwarming and viral story has emerged from China, where a group of seven dogs, led by a corgi, were filmed walking more than 17 kilometres back to their home village after going missing. The video, which has garnered over 230 million views online, shows the dogs braving sub-zero temperatures in Changchun, the capital of Jilin province in north-east China.
Details of the Canine Adventure
The video, first posted on 15 March, features the dogs—including a golden retriever, a Labrador, a German shepherd, and a Pekinese—marching along a highway. Leading the pack is a corgi, later identified in Chinese media as Dapang, meaning "big fatty." The footage sparked widespread concern and admiration, with many netizens following the dogs' plight closely.
Volunteers from a local stray dog rescue centre, such as Tong Tong, took action upon seeing the video. Tong Tong expressed worry about the dogs' welfare in the freezing conditions, stating, "I was especially worried about the seven dogs, afraid that they hadn't eaten or drunk anything." She borrowed a drone to search for them, highlighting the community's efforts to ensure their safety.
Reunion with Owners After Days of Searching
On 19 March, it was reported that the dogs had successfully found their way home. Three of the dogs, including Dapang, belong to a woman living in a village near Changchun. She had been searching for her pets for four days and was on the verge of giving up when Dapang unexpectedly wandered back into the house on 18 March. The owner then located the other dogs, who had been taken in by another villager.
Initial speculation among netizens suggested the dogs might have been stolen for purposes such as dog meat, which is consumed in some parts of China, or for resale as pets. However, Jilin's provincial culture and tourism bureau later clarified that the dogs had wandered off on their own, likely attracted by the German shepherd, who was on heat and known to disappear periodically.
Public Reaction and Official Warnings
The incident went viral, with many social media users expressing emotional responses. One Weibo user wrote, "Watching this made me want to cry. Dogs are humans' friends forever." Others humorously suggested the adventure could inspire a film or a real-life version of the children's cartoon Paw Patrol.
State media issued a warning, noting that the event "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 underscores the challenges of verifying facts in the digital age.
Overall, this story highlights the resilience of animals and the power of community efforts in reuniting lost pets with their owners, while also sparking broader discussions about pet safety and online misinformation in China.
