After Being Stolen, Seven Dogs Escaped a Truck and Walked Ten Miles Home
On March 16, seven dogs from a village near Changchun were taken and loaded onto a transport truck, in an incident locals believe was linked to the dog meat trade. The dogs came from three different households, but they were known in the area for sticking together, spending their days roaming as a group.
The animals were loaded into a transport truck, but something went wrong along the route. Later accounts suggest the dogs managed to chew through a cage inside the vehicle and escape. But instead of scattering after getting free, all seven stayed together and began moving towards home.
Moving With Purpose Over Ten Miles
Image via pexels/Renjith Tomy Pkm
The distance between the highway and their village was about 17 kilometers, or just over 10 miles. That stretch included open areas, traffic-heavy roads, and unfamiliar surroundings, and the group covered it over roughly two days.
A driver named Lu spotted the group walking in a line along the road and began recording. In the video, a corgi leads at the front and turns its head again and again to check on the others. Behind it, the larger dogs stay close together and form a loose barrier around a limping German shepherd as they continue down the road.
The injury slowed the group, but it did not break them apart. They paused when needed, adjusted their pace, and continued forward as a unit. Lu tried to guide them away from the road, but the dogs ignored him and kept moving.
A Video Triggered a Search Effort
@thesundaily 25 March 2026: A brave little Corgi became an unlikely hero after leading six fellow dogs on a remarkable 17km journey back home in Changchun, China. 🐾 The seven dogs, believed to have escaped from a truck used by dog meat traders, were spotted walking together along a busy highway, protecting one another and refusing to leave an injured German shepherd behind. A passerby who filmed the incredible moment shared the video online, sparking a massive response that helped volunteers track the dogs and guide them home. In the end, all seven dogs safely reunited with their families, A powerful reminder that loyalty, friendship and the instinct to find home can overcome even the toughest journey. ❤️ @thesundaily #theSun #theSunMY #DogHeroes #JourneyHome #AnimalRescue ♬ original sound – The Sun Malaysia
Once Lu shared the footage on Douyin, the response was immediate. The clip spread across platforms and eventually reached hundreds of millions of views. The attention pushed local rescue groups into action.
The Bitter Coffee Stray Dog Base organized a search effort, sending volunteers and even deploying a drone to track the dogs’ progress and help guide them safely. By then, the group was already well into its journey.
The Return Home
By March 19, all seven dogs had returned to their village and reunited with their owners. They returned to three different households, the same ones they had been taken from days earlier. Reports confirmed that the dogs had only minor injuries and signs of fatigue.
One owner, whose German shepherd and golden retriever were part of the group, summed up the moment simply by saying they were lucky the dogs came back at all. The video’s reach, which crossed 230 million views, was part of the reason this story spread so widely. The details inside it did the rest.
Viewers focused on the same moments again and again. The corgi looks back; the injured dog is surrounded, and the group slows rather than pushing ahead. Those choices gave the journey a clear structure that people could follow in real time.