A VIRAL tearjerker about a gang of “kidnapped” dogs trekking miles home after escaping the meat trade has been exposed as complete fiction.
The clip – watched millions of times worldwide – had viewers convinced they were watching a real-life animal miracle.
In it, seven dogs pad along a highway in northeast China, appearing to move like a loyal pack.
A corgi leads from the front, repeatedly glancing back, while a golden retriever sticks to the edge as if standing guard.
At the centre, several dogs appear to shield a limping German shepherd.
It looked like something straight out of a Disney film, and the internet lapped it up.
But the emotional backstory that sent it viral – claims the dogs had been stolen for the meat trade before escaping and trekking up to 10 miles home – has now been debunked.
In reality, there was no daring escape and no epic journey.
Chinese state media tracked down the animals’ owners and found all seven dogs belonged to villagers living just a few miles away.
The “injured” German shepherd wasn’t hurt at all – it was in heat, which is why the other dogs were following it so closely.
Locals said the animals are free-roaming and often disappear for a day or two at a time.
They have all since returned home.
The video itself is real – filmed on March 15 by a passing driver in Jilin province – but the story built around it spiralled out of control.
The man who filmed it initially speculated the dogs may have escaped from a transport vehicle, before later admitting he hadn’t seen any such thing.
But by then, it was too late. The clip had already racked up more than 90 million views on Chinese platforms before spreading globally across TikTok, X, and Instagram.
From there, social media users turned it into a full-blown saga.
Some compared it to the 1993 Disney film Homeward Bound, while others created AI-generated movie posters, fake trailers and even images of the dogs being reunited with emotional owners.
Experts say it shows how quickly misinformation can snowball online, even when it seems harmless.
TJ Thomson, associate professor of digital media at RMIT University, told CNN: “Folks are trying to capitalise on existing viral content or trends.”
“Attention is money online and on social media. So, the more attention you get, the more engagement you get.”
It comes as earlier reports – now clearly out of date – claimed the dogs had been “stolen for illegal meat trade” and had marched for miles through freezing temperatures to get home.
Those reports sparked volunteer searches and fears for the animals’ safety.
But that version of events has now been firmly knocked down.
