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‘My heart can’t handle this’: World is touched by gripping story of band of dogs who escaped meat factory in China

March 25, 2026 | | Print Article

A real-life, viral “Homeward Bound” sent a Chinese state-owned news outlet into damage control after tens of millions caught wind of intrepid dogs allegedly escaping a gruesome fate.

(Video Credit: CBS News Chicago)

Lest the world has forgotten how repulsed Americans are by the mistreatment of canines, one need only be reminded of Dr. Anthony Fauci’s authorized beagle experiments or former President Barack Obama’s admission to eating dog as a child.

Now, a story out of northeastern China has captured the attention of the world and put a spotlight on the communist nation’s brutal dog meat trade after seven neighborhood dogs were spotted on the side of a highway making their way home.

According to a report from the South China Morning Post, an individual named Lu was responsible for capturing the footage of the assorted pack of canines traversing a highway in Changchun, Jilin province, on March 16 with a corgi at the lead. The video would go on to earn more than 230 million views on China’s Douyin app.

“They resemble a band of little brothers in distress, moving in unison — nothing like stray dogs,” Lu told the Dahe Daily as word circulated that the dogs had escaped thieves who’d picked them up for butchering at a meat shop.

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“My heart can’t handle this,” reacted White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt as she shared a post from Dexerto that detailed the group, led by the corgi Dapang (Big Fat), which journeyed some 17 km (over 10.5 miles) along highways and through fields to return to their respective families.

“We are so lucky they came back, not to be eaten,” the owner of the German shepherd and golden retriever said as the Post’s report indicated the consumption of dog meat is not against the law in China, but farming is expensive, leading businesses to resort to Cruella de Vil-style tactics.

Of course, given how the story about bats at a wet market in Wuhan was used as the basis for claims about how COVID spread around the globe, it appears the Chinese Communist Party is none too interested in having the appetites of its citizens questioned further.

A report from the majority state-owned Ifeng News claimed, “The viral story of ‘seven puppies escaping a dog thief and trekking 17km back home’ has touched a lot of people online, but … the truth is a bit different. No dog thief at all.”

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The same report went on to cite the owner of the shepherd and retriever in suggesting the former was in the lead and “led a group of village dogs on a ‘runaway adventure’. They weren’t 17km away either, just under 4km from home. And no injuries, the shepherd was fine.”

Given the CCP’s reputation, few were buying the angle from the state, as social media users instead were awed over the dogs’ reported escape and the supposed corgi leadership while decrying China for not taking steps to protect the beloved pets of its citizens.

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Kevin Haggerty
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