Missing, seven dogs travel 17 km to return home: in a few days, this title has invaded social networks. In the video, a small canine troop walks along the side of a major road in China, under a gray sky, as if on a mission. The story has all the makings of a moving family film, with four-legged heroes, invisible danger and a predicted triumphant return.
The story accompanies the images: seven companions, one
corgi in the lead, would have been kidnapped by traffickers linked to the dog meat trade in the
Jilin provincein the northeast of the country. After escaping from a truck by gnawing their cage, they reportedly walked more than 17 kilometers for two days, crossing highways and fields, before returning to their village on March 18. An impeccable story on paper, almost too much so.
Seven dogs in China: a viral video
On the side of an expressway near Changchun, the single file is intriguing. The corgi, nicknamed Da Pang by Internet users, turns around to check that no one is missing. One dog seems to be limping, the others slow down to wait for him. These details stand out: the sequence has more than 230 million views and some are already dreaming of a “101 Dalmatians”-style remake.
In several media, the story is detailed: the dogs remained grouped, volunteers followed them with a drone to avoid an accident, then each was returned to their family. The courage of the small pack, united in the face of danger, then becomes a widely shared symbol of canine loyalty.
17 km odyssey: what really happened?
Very quickly, local journalists from City Evening News
go to find out who these animals really are. They find several owners in a nearby village and learn that most of the dogs have only ever been away from home for a few hours. A female German Shepherd in heat would simply have led the other males along the road, before everyone returned to the neighborhood.
Investigations published by CNN and by Les Vériteurs de TF1-LCI describe a much less romantic story: no solid proof of a truck heading to a slaughterhouse, nor of organized trafficking behind these images. The famous 17 km journey remains unverifiable, and the dog walk would have taken place over a much shorter distance. The video is real, but the scenario surrounding it has been inflated over time.
Animal videos and AI: keep your eyes peeled
Behind this success story, another phenomenon intrigues digital specialists. Versions of the sequence are circulating with voiceovers generated by artificial intelligenceretouched images, dramatic miniatures which further accentuate the supposed distress of the dogs. The more incredible the story seems, the more clicks it attracts, and therefore advertising revenue for the content creators who have reshaped it in their own way. For the public, maintaining this small distance allows them to continue to be moved by animal videos, while remaining attentive to what is fiction.