Seven dogs stolen from a village in northeast China for the illegal dog meat trade have staged a dramatic escape and trekked about 17km home together.
The pets, stolen from three households near the city of Changchun in Jilin province, broke free from a transport truck on or before March 16 in freezing temperatures.
Spotted by a passer-by on a busy highway, they moved as a tight pack: a corgi leading the way, frequently glancing back, while the others shielded an injured German shepherd.
Seven dogs which were stolen for meat in China escaped in freezing temperatures and trekked 17km home in a pack.
Follow: @NoticerNews pic.twitter.com/41Nl94DfSv
— The Noticer (@NoticerNews) March 25, 2026
By March 19, all seven dogs, a mix of golden retrievers, Labradors, a German shepherd, the leading corgi and a Pekingese, had been reunited with their owners.
They were tracked by animal rescue volunteers using a drone, and footage posted on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, shows the dogs pressing forward in unison, refusing to scatter despite heavy traffic and exhaustion, while other videos emerged of the pack walking through a wheat field.
Volunteers from the Bitter Coffee Stray Dog Base confirmed the animals had been targeted by thieves supplying a local dog meat shop. No one witnessed the exact breakout, but the dogs’ coordinated trek left little doubt they were determined to return home.
Residents say the dogs had long roamed the village as a close-knit group. Their safe return has been hailed as a rare happy ending in a country where thousands of pets vanish each year into the meat trade.
Chinese law does not ban the consumption of dog meat at the national level, although it is banned locally in the cities of Shenzhen and Zhuhai. The consumption of dogs is celebrated yearly at the Yulin Dog Meat Festival in southwest China, and dogs are also commonly eaten in winter in the country’s north, as locals believe the meat has medicinal properties that helps warm and nourish the body.
But dog farms are rare due to costs, and many dog butchers and restaurants source their meat from strays and stolen pets instead, the Dalian Animal Protection Association told the South China Morning Post.
The story has exploded online, racking up more than 230 million views on Douyin and reigniting calls for stronger animal protection laws.
Header image: Left, right, the dogs on their way home (Douyin).
The post Dogs stolen for meat in China escape and trek 17km home in pack first appeared on The Noticer.
The NoticerRead More
R1
T1
