Seven pet dogs stolen from a village in northeastern China have gone viral after pulling off a dramatic escape and making their way back home on their own.

The group is believed to have travelled around 17km together, navigating busy roads and open fields before reuniting with their owners just days later.

Clips of the dog squad went viral on March 16, when a passerby spotted the canines moving in formation along a highway and filmed the moment. The clip quickly spread online, with viewers noting how the group appeared to be extremely coordinated.

Dogs team up to escape thieves
According to the South China Morning Post, the dogs were taken by thieves working for a dog meat shop and escaped from a moving truck. A Corgi led the group and repeatedly turned to check on the others, while the group surrounded an injured German shepherd in the middle. Other breeds, including Golden Retrievers, Labradors, and a Pekingese, followed closely behind.

More footage later showed the dogs crossing nearby fields, still sticking together and ignoring attempts from people to guide them to safety.

Local rescuers later confirmed all seven dogs came from the same village, where they were known to roam together and had formed strong bonds. Volunteers tracked their movements as the group continued heading in the same direction, and by March 19, all seven dogs had finally reunited with their owners.

In China, stealing a dog is treated as a criminal offense, with penalties ranging from fines to prison time depending on the animal’s value.

Dogs’ viral escape from truck spark calls for Disney animated film

The dogs’ miraculous escape is going so viral that users across social media are demanding their story be made into a movie, urging Disney and Pixar to take notice.

Barstool correspondent Robbie Fox also chimed in, saying, “Get Disney on the phone right now.”

Out of the group of adorable pups, fans have already latched onto the corgi, with many saying it has to be the ‘lead’ of their envisioned production.

“Animated film about this is going to hit like gangbusters,” one user commented, with another saying, “Pixar, I’m looking at you to make this a movie.”

It’s not surprising that folks are clamoring for Disney to adapt this heart wrenching tale, because it wouldn’t be the studio’s first foray into such territory; their classic films Lady and the Tramp, Oliver & Company, and even Homeward Bound come to mind as similar stories of pets finding their way home to their forever families.

This is just the latest heartwarming animal rescue to go viral after a 15-year-old dog was reunited with its owner after going missing for 10 years, while a family famously found their dog eight years after it went missing in a hurricane.