Truth behind kidnapped dogs has been revealed, and it’s way different from what we thought

A viral video earlier this week claimed to show seven dogs who escaped kidnapping walking several miles back to their owner, but it’s been revealed that’s not actually true.

Our hearts were all won over when a video of seven dogs walking across a highway in China appeared on our timelines. The story that went along with the video was just as wholesome – people claimed the dogs had been kidnapped from their owners by a meat factory, escaped and had walked 12 miles home.

Seven dogs stolen from their owners have gone viral after escaping from an illegal transport truck and making their way home.

They traveled around 17 km together, led by a corgi across highways and fields, now safely back with their respective owners..🐶🐾🥺❤️ pic.twitter.com/H5VB9BQkGB

— 𝕐o̴g̴ (@Yoda4ever) March 23, 2026

One viral tweet even claimed to add context to the video, claiming that the German shepherd in the video was injured, and the corgi was leading the group. It was widely reported that it took the dogs two days to safely return.

Well, as sweet as that story is, the real context of the video has finally been revealed. According to Chinese local media outlets, the German shepherd was in heat and attracted the other dogs, who wandered around for a bit and then eventually returned home to their local village.

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I’m actually bawling my eyes out no one speak to me for the rest of the day https://t.co/AJeQGZBLKP

— Isabel Brown (@theisabelb) March 23, 2026

So, no meat farms or kidnapping involved – just dogs being dogs. The locals from the Chinese village the dogs are from said the group are known to walk free for days at a time, but they all have owners. The whole thing got lost in translation, as the video first went viral on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, All the original viral videos are in Chinese, and the follow up that clarified the real story is also in Chinese.

This incident is a reminder of how quick misinformation on the internet can spread, especially when it’s a story we all really want to be true. Even though the wholesome story we all loved turned out to be fake, at least we know the dogs are safe and sound.

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Featured image via X