Viral tale of ‘stolen’ dogs that escaped slaughter warmed hearts all over the globe — but it was fake
By Ben Cost
Published on March 27, 2026.
A viral video showing seven dogs escaping from the meat trade in China has been viewed millions of times on Chinese social media. The footage, which also included a Golden Retriever, labradors and Pekinese, depicted the dogs trekking home in Jilin province, China. However, Chinese state media debunked the story, stating that the dogs only lived several miles away and the injured German Shepherd was in heat. The viral video had over 90 million views and sparked numerous memes and forum discussions online.
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