The loving bond people share with their dogs has been a fixture throughout the annals of human history.
Anyone who’s ever owned a dog will tell you that they’re more than mere animals. By the same token, it quickly becomes obvious when you get a dog that you are its entire world. Dogs so often love and adore their owners, and will do anything to ensure that they’re happy.
So what happens when they’re separated from them? Well, the long and short of it is that they’re lost and confused, and they want nothing more than to be reunited, as one dog in China recently proved.
As per incredible reports, a loving dog walked an astounding 37 miles in 26 days as it searched for its owners after it was accidentally left behind at a service station.
Dou Dou, a seven-year-old pooch, is said to have been separated from his family when they stopped on the highway for a break.
Undeterred by the monumental odds, however, he then began what can only be described as a monumental journey home.
Qianjiang Evening News, a newspaper based in Hangzhou, say Dou Dou’s family drove to the countryside to visit relatives last month.
They then stopped at Tong Lu Service Station, around 37 miles away from their house. The family’s father, Mr Qui, said he thought Dou Dou had stayed in the car while they attended to the needs of their young child.
Yet when they reached their final destination, several hours later, they realized Dou Dou was gone. They made their way to the service station to find him the next day, but he’d already disappeared.
“[We] hoped it would survive and find a good-hearted person who would adopt it,” Mr Qiu told Qianjiang Evening News.
As fate would have it, though, Dou Dou had no intention of finding a new home. Instead he embarked upon the long walk back home, leaving his family stunned when he showed up on their doorstep “dirty, gaunt” some 26 days later.
“Apart from being skinner than before, [Dou Dou] was still the same self,” Mr Qui explained.
“Its eyes are radiating with lights.”
He continued: “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.”
Needless to say, word of the dog’s odyssey has made headlines across the world. Obviously, any right-minded animal expert will tell you to always keep an eye on your dog, but it is truly remarkable that Dou Dou’s homing instinct was strong enough to guide him back to the family’s house.
Animals simply never cease to amaze me. Thank goodness Dou Dou made his way home safe and sound. I dread to think what could have happened under different circumstances.
Share this article if Dou Dou’s resilience and strength put a smile on your face.
