“Isn’t this a Disney movie plot?” That’s what one viewer wrote after watching a video of a Corgi named Dapang leading six neighborhood pups on a 10-mile, two-day journey home after dognappers took them. And they were right. It should be. It definitely should be.
Thieves took the Corgi from his house in a small rural Chinese village along with six other dogs from his neighborhood. Included among the group were a German Shepherd, a Golden Retriever, and some Pekingese pups.
According to the South China Post, the dogs were allegedly heading for China’s meat trade. They reportedly broke free from a van by chewing through their cages.
A person named Lu posted a video of the dogs walking down a busy highway in Changchun on March 16. In the video, the group of dogs cautiously surrounded the injured German Shepherd. Meanwhile, the Corgi at the front constantly checked to ensure that no pup was left behind.
“They resemble a band of little brothers in distress, moving in unison – nothing like stray dogs,” Lu said to Dahe Daily, a mainland Chinese media outlet.
For those who are wondering, yes, Lu did try to corral the pups and take them to safety, several times, in fact, but the dogs ignored his calls. He then shared the video on Douyin, begging local authorities for help.
The dogs were familiar with one another since they are all from the same neighborhood
According to the local Bitter Coffee Stray Dog Base, the dogs are from the same village. They usually roam freely together and have developed close bonds.
The base responded to the video by sending out a number of volunteers. They even used a drone to try to locate the dogs to help ensure their safe return home.
A volunteer told Jimu News on March 19 that the owners, who came from three different homes, had reclaimed each of the seven dogs.
“We are so lucky they came back, not to be eaten,” the owner of the German shepherd and Golden Retriever said.
Now safely home, videos of the dogs’ incredible journey have received over 230 million views on social media.
“Their journey could be the premise for a movie,” one viewer commented. “The Golden Retriever positioned itself closest to traffic to shield the others. The Corgi kept checking back to ensure no one was left behind. The German shepherd, showing natural leadership, remained central like a general.”