Story of 7 dogs travelling 17km to return home in China found to be fake

Editor's note: 

The story below has been proven to be false. It was reported based on extensive coverage in China state media. However, the dogs have been verified to belong to residents from a nearby village.

A group of seven dogs in China has won the hearts of netizens for their loyalty and teamwork after banding together to escape a dog thief and travel 17km back to their owners.

The dogs, who belonged to different owners, had allegedly been stolen from their respective homes in Jilin and were intended for sale to a dog meat shop.

The group, which included a German shepherd, a golden retriever and a corgi, were seen walking together along the Changshuang Expressway on March 16, reported Chinese media.

In a video uploaded to YouTube, the dogs were seen huddling together and walking as a pack on the road shoulder while cars sped past them.

They were also spotted walking through a field at a later date, according to netizens who recognised them from the viral video.

According to local media reports, the dogs seemed to have travelled for two days and walked over 17km.

Netizens and animal rescue volunteers in the area helped track their movements through social media updates, eventually locating the dogs and returning them to their owners.

According to a rescue volunteer, they returned safely to their homes on March 19 and were deemed healthy after examinations revealed only minor injuries.

The owners expressed relief after their return, thankful that their beloved pets did not end up in the slaughterhouse.

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