The truth behind the viral story of seven dogs said to have escaped a Chinese meat factory and trekked home together

A story from China captured hearts worldwide when videos appeared to show seven dogs marching in tight formation along snowy fields and motorways in Changchun, Jilin province. According to early reports, the animals had escaped from a dog-meat truck and travelled over ten miles back to their village. Leading the group was Dapang, an unusually stout corgi who often looked back to ensure none of his companions—among them a golden retriever, a labrador, and a limping German shepherd—fell behind. Social media users celebrated the dogs’ supposed courage, with the original footage garnering more than 230 million views on the Chinese app Douyin. The animals were believed to have been stolen for the dog-meat trade, a practice still present in certain Chinese provinces, before heroically finding their way home. However, later investigations by Chinese media outlet Ifeng News contradicted this narrative. It reported that no theft had occurred, and the adventure merely involved a local German shepherd in heat leading nearby village dogs on an impromptu outing only four kilometres from home. The dogs reportedly returned uninjured and well. Despite doubts about the original story’s accuracy, the media frenzy highlighted growing international awareness of China’s contested dog-meat industry and the emotional resonance of animal rescue tales online.