Seven dogs escape from thieves and travel 17 km together to return to their village in China.
A video of seven dogs of different breeds traveling together, unsure of where to go, stopping to look at curious passersby, is doing the rounds. As social media users ask Grok if the video is real, the South China Morning Post reported that the seven dogs walking on a busy highway in Changchun, Jilin province were spotted by a netizen named Lu. Thieves working in a dog meat shop stole them and took them away in a truck. But all seven dogs escaped from the truck and returned home after covering a distance of 17 km in two days. The group of dogs included a German Shepherd, who was injured, a Corgi, golden retrievers, Labradors and Pekinese dogs. “They resemble a group of little brothers in distress, walking in unison – nothing like stray dogs,” Lu told Dahe Daily. Lu said he tried to help the dogs several times, trying to guide them to safety, but the dogs kept walking and ignored his efforts. Lu shared the video on Douyin and urged authorities to intervene. On the way, some other people also saw dogs roaming in the nearby fields. As their videos started going viral on Chinese social media, volunteers tracked their movements and made sure they were home safely. Bitter Coffee Stray Dog Base told SCMP that the dogs are from Save village and they know each other as they often play together and that is why they remained in a pack for two days when they returned home. One volunteer claimed that individuals running a dog meat shop had stolen the dogs, suggesting that they may have been run over by a truck, although no witnesses saw them leave.Based on the timeline of their videos returning home, it is believed that they escaped on March 16 and returned to their respective homes on March 18. In China, dog theft is considered a criminal offense, which can include a fine or imprisonment depending on the value of the animal.