Incredible tail of seven dogs escaping meat market to embark on mammoth journey home

Disney will surely be calling soon after a pack of seven stray dogs stolen to be turned into meat managed to find their way home after a treacherous 20km journey.

The ragtag group of Corgis, Golden Retrievers and German Shepherds were snatched from three homes in a village in rural China on March 16.

Destined to be turned into meat, they managed to chew through their cage and escape the van, according to the South China Post.

The group then began their mammoth journey home alongside a busy motorway and cutting through expansive wheat fields in Changchun.

The group were led by a brave Corgi, named Big Fat, known for its ability to find its way home.

At times, the dogs formed a tight block around a German Shepherd badly injured during the escape. They never left him behind.

The Golden Retriever was also seen acting as a ‘sentry’ on the perimeter, scanning the surroundings and wagging its tail to reassure its companions.

Another passing road user captured footage of the dogs wandering through nearby fields in their two day journey.

The local Bitter Coffee Stray Dog Base reported that the dogs were all neighbours from the same village, usually seen roaming together and forming a strong bond.

One onlooker told Chinese outlet Dahe Daily: ‘They resemble a band of little brothers in distress, moving in unison – nothing like stray dogs.’

Finally, after two days they made it home.

One owner expressed relief that his missing dogs – a German shepherd and a Golden Retriever – returned home, stating: ‘We are so lucky they came back, not to be eaten.’

Another owner proudly spoke of her Corgi, known for its cleverness and ability to find its way home.

Their story went viral and has been viewed more than two million times on social media.

One follower said: ‘This is an epic story, the canine equivalent of Xenophon’s Anabasis, when 10,000 Greek hoplites made a perilous journey back to the Black Sea from Persia.

‘In the centuries to come, doggy bards will sing of their heroism.’

Their adventure has sparked calls for an animated movie but also concerns about the dog meat trade in China.

Younger generations are using stories like this to highlight the cruelty of the trade – which is declining.  

But during long, icy winters, locals believe eating dog meat provides warmth and sustenance.

In big cities like Changchun, Harbin, and Dalian, numerous incidents of pet dogs being stolen have been reported.

Dogs are usually stolen or strays captured and killed because it’s cheaper for thieves than breeding them to be slaughtered.

Jilin province, the area where the dogs were stolen, still has more than 50 active slaughterhouses.

There’s no nationwide ban on eating dogs in China and it mainly happens in parts of southern China – but Shenzhen banned it in 2020.

The Yulin Dog Meat Festival is an annual event that involves the slaughter and consumption of dogs and sometimes cats, drawing widespread international condemnation from animal welfare groups.