Loyal Dog Walks 59 km In 26 Days To Find Home After Owners Forgot It At Service Station

A dog’s loyalty knows no limits: A courageous dog has walked over 59 km(37 miles) within nearly a month to find its owners.

The owners of seven-year-old Dou Dou had lost their pupper at a service station in China, as reported by 9GAG. The unfortunate accident happened during a family trip when they stopped at the motorway facility for a break.

It took the brave dog 26 days and numerous struggles to return home, but his love for his owners proved to be stronger. As per Qianjiang Evening News, when the exhausted poor creature finally found its way home, it was visibly emaciated and covered in dirt from the heavy traffic.

The paper reveals that Dou Dou’s family from the eastern Chinese city Hangzhou were on a trip to the countryside. They traveled by car and decided to bring their beloved pet along.

Qiu, one of the pupper’s owners, shared that the ride was too long, so they stopped for a break at the Tong Lu Service Station, which is about 59.5457 km away from their home. Since they had brought their young child to look after on the way, the group did not notice their pet went missing until they finally arrived at their destination several hours later.

As soon as they could, the whole family rushed back to the station to look for their dear four-legged friend. Qiu and his wife went back to the facility several times in the hopes of finding Dou Dou, but sadly, he was nowhere to be seen.

Eventually, the family had to accept that their loving dog may never return. Until one day…

Owner Qui told the Chinese outlet that they truly hoped Dou Dou would survive and ‘find a good-hearted person who would adopt it.’ 

Last Thursday, nearly a month after their unfortunate canine went missing, the family found ‘a dirty, gaunt stray dog’ on their doorstep. At first, they had no idea where this strange pupper had come from, but they were soon shocked to realize that it was, in fact, their own long-lost pet.

Poor Dou Dou had become so malnourished and bony that his owners could barely recognize him.

The family was beyond happy to have their beloved dog back. The second they recognized him, they rushed to give their pet some food and a warm bath after its unimaginably challenging quest to return home. Qiu explained:

“Apart from being skinner than before, [Dou Dou] was still the same self. Its eyes are radiating with lights. Luckily it didn’t have any injuries. Even though Dou Dou was tired and walking wobbly on the first day [after returning home], it has become a lot more energetic recently.”

Dou Dou’s courage and loyalty amazed animal experts who were deeply impressed by his instincts to find his way home. A dog trainer told a local newspaper that while there is still much more we need to learn about our four-legged friends, Dou Dou’s ability to return home from such a long distance was ‘exceptional.’ 

What do you think of this loyal pooch? Let us know in the comment section!