A brave group of dogs that were stolen managed to escape their captors before making an impressive 12-mile walk all the way home.
In what some are calling 'a real-life version of Homeward Bound', after the 1993 Disney classic featuring two dogs and a cat making a huge trek home, fans are hoping Disney will pick this shaggy dog tale up too.
An adorable video has gone viral after the group was spotted walking along the side of the road in Changchun, Jilin province, on March 16, with a particularly plucky corgi leading the way.
The pack of dogs, made up of a German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, Corgi, Pekinese and several other breeds were reportedly stolen from three different homes in a rural village in China, according to the South China Post.
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Horrifyingly, they were all destined for the meat market, before they managed to escape after chewing their way out of a cage.
The original video was shared by someone identified just as Lu, who spotted the motley crew walking alongside the highway.
At times, the dogs are seen closely surrounding the badly injured German Shepherd to protect it, while the Corgi leads the way, regularly looking back to check none have fallen behind.
The Post reports Lu told Chinese media outlet Dahe Daily: “They resemble a band of little brothers in distress, moving in unison – nothing like stray dogs.”
Lu attempted to call the dogs over to safety, but they couldn't be tempted over.
Following the videos going viral on social media, a rescue organisation called Bitter Coffee Stray Dog Base stepped in to help track them down with drones.
The Base said the dogs spend a lot of time roaming freely together around their village, so have formed close bonds and walking like this around their village was normal for them.
In a happy turn of events, The Post reported that all seven dogs had returned to their respective owners, after making the huge 17km/12 mile journey back to safety.
The owner of the German Shepherd and golden retriever said: “We are so lucky they came back, not to be eaten.”
A video of the dogs walking has now been watched more than 230 million times.
One commenter wrote: "In the centuries to come, doggy bards will sing of their heroism."
On X, one joked: "Humans get lost with Google Maps, a full tank of gas, and still call the AA. But a corgi leads 6 homies 17km through highways like it's nothing. We really are the inferior species."
"It's a real like version of 'Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey', Disney needs to remake this" insisted another.
Another referenced a different TV show: "Whole squad escaped like Prison Break and the corgi was the mastermind!"
There is no law against eating dogs in most of China, but Shenzhen became one of the first cities to ban the practice back in 2020.
The controversial annual Yulin Dog Meat Festival still continues despite widespread backlash against it.
Dog theft, however, is a criminal offence and anyone caught stealing pet dogs can be fined or sent to prison, depending on the value of the dog.
Topics: Dog, Pets, Animals, World News, Social Media
Jen Thomas