Seven Dogs Escape Kidnappers, Trek 17 km Home in China

In northeastern China's Jilin province, a group of seven dogs from the same village captured global attention after escaping kidnappers and trekking 17 kilometers home together over two days in mid-March. The animals, believed to have been stolen for the dog meat trade, navigated busy highways and fields in Changchun, reuniting safely with their owners by March 18.

Local reports indicate the dogs, which included a corgi, a golden retriever, a Labrador retriever, a German shepherd, and a Pekingese among others, were taken from three households on March 16. Witnesses and volunteers from the Bitter Coffee Stray Dog Base, a local animal welfare group, reported that the pets had formed bonds while roaming their neighborhood before the theft. The base noted the dogs' familiarity with one another, which likely contributed to their coordinated escape and journey.

According to accounts pieced together from eyewitness videos and social media posts, the dogs chewed through a cage inside a vehicle transporting them, breaking free en route. Footage shared widely online shows the pack moving purposefully along a highway, with the corgi appearing to lead the group. In one clip, the corgi...