Group of Lost Dogs Led by Corgi Trek Miles Home

A video of seven dogs marching down a highway in China has gone viral. It’s not AI-generated nor is it a promo for a surprise Homeward Bound remake.

Instead, the seven dogs are journeying back home. 

The video was captured on March 16. It depicts the group of dogs — including Golden Retrievers, Labradors, Pekineses, and a German Shepherd — walking along a highway in Changchun, the capital of China’s Jilin province in the northeast. The pack is led by a chubby Corgi, who occasionally looks over their shoulder to make sure none of the dogs are left behind. 

The German Shepherd appears to be injured in the video which makes the whole pack surrounding them and slowing down all the more heartwarming. 

“They resemble a band of little brothers in distress, moving in unison – nothing like stray dogs,” said Lu, the man who recorded and uploaded the video, to Chinese media outlet Dahe Daily, the South China Morning Post reports. 

According to the South China Morning Post, Lu attempted to guide the dogs to safety but they ignored him. He shared the video on Douyin (China’s version of TikTok) and urged local authorities to look into the matter. 

Local dog rescue organization, Bitter Coffee Stray Dog Base, told the South China Morning post that the dogs all came from the same village, where they freely roamed and formed strong friendships. The organization sent out several volunteers and a drone to help track the dogs. 

The Guardian reports that after seeing the video, one volunteer went door-to-door in nearby villages and posted posters of the dogs. She was particularly concerned, because the weather was so cold. 

The dogs’ families were understandably concerned and searching for their beloved animals. Dapang, the corgi, and three of the other dogs lived with a woman from a nearby village. The Guardian reports that she told Chinese media that she had been looking for her dogs for days and was on the verge of giving up. But then on March 18, Dapang walked right back into the house. 

By March 19, all seven dogs were reunited with their families.

While one volunteer claimed that the dogs were stolen by thieves from a dog meat shop, no one actually witnessed any kidnapping. Despite controversy, dog meat is still eaten as a delicacy in parts of China. Stealing dogs is the easiest and cheapest way for these operations to obtain meat. Others theorized that the dogs might’ve been simply stolen to be resold as pets.

The truth, however, might be the straightforward explanation.

According to the Guardian, Jilin’s provincial culture and tourism bureau said that the dogs simply wandered off on their own accord. They were all attracted by the German Shepherd, who was in heat at the time and had previous records of disappearing for a few days. Still, the fact that all the dogs banded together to journey home is heartwarming.

The video quickly racked up 230 million views in China and beyond. Many people expressed affection for the dogs and desire to see the story transformed into an animated movie. 

“Dogs exemplify loyalty to their companions; humans who harm them show far less humanity,” said one online user, according to the South China Morning Post. 

Former NFL player Matthew Cherry reposted the video on X with the caption: “Need the animated movie version of this.”

“Watching this made me want to cry. Dogs are humans’ friends forever,” wrote one Weibo user, the Guardian reports.