From great escape to great reunion: plot twists of China viral video of 7 dogs’ homecoming

A viral video of a 17-kilometre journey home featuring seven dogs in China sparked widespread attention globally, but an investigation revealed the truth.

Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin The tale of seven dogs from China allegedly fleeing captivity from a dog meat restaurant won hearts globally, but the reality has recently come to light, taking an unexpected turn.

Local media and official fact-checks later revealed that the German shepherd in the video was in heat, attracting the other six dogs who followed it.

This dramatic and heartwarming story began with a video captured by a road user in Changchun, Jilin province, northeastern China, showing seven dogs walking along a highway.

Moved by concern for the animals, the individual urged local traffic authorities to intervene.

The footage quickly gained traction on mainland social media and beyond, amassing over 230 million views online.

Photo: news.qq.com The footage quickly resonated on mainland social media and beyond, garnering over 230 million views online.

Some users speculated that the dogs had “fallen off a truck” or had been “stolen by a dog meat shop,” while others leveraged artificial intelligence (AI) to create posters portraying an epic narrative of their journey home.

In these imagined tales, the dogs were cast as loyal, brave, and unusually intelligent heroes.

A local stray dog rescue shelter also disseminated a video claiming the animals had been “stolen and then escaped,” but this account was based solely on one owner’s speculation rather than any eyewitness testimony.

Tongtong, a local animal welfare volunteer, stated in an interview that her team put up notices, deployed drones, and went door-to-door in nearby villages to help track down the dogs and guide them home.

Within days, all seven dogs had returned.

A local animal welfare volunteer stated that her team posted notices, deployed drones, and went door-to-door in nearby villages to help locate the dogs and guide them home.

Photo: news.qq.com Local state media later moved to debunk the online rumours, clarifying that the German shepherd in the video had not been injured and that there had been no theft or captivity involved.

According to City Evening News, the German shepherd belonged to a villager surnamed Zhang, who explained that village dogs typically roam freely and often go missing for a day or two at a time.

She revealed to the mainland media that her German shepherd, Sibao, had been in heat, which attracted the oth

原文链接: 南华早报