After her owners left her with a friend to be cared for temporarily, a faithful family dog in China embarked on a tireless quest to find her way back home.
The one-year-old golden retriever, named Ping An (meaning ‘safe and sound’), endured injuries and starvation after walking over 62 miles alone for 14 days. She was ultimately discovered outside an office building by a group of workers who rescued her and located her owners, as reported by a state-owned newspaper.
The family had entrusted Ping An to a friend in Nantong, over 62 miles away from their home in Qidong, while they were occupied with renovating their house in June. After almost four months, the family learned that their beloved pet had gone missing from their friend’s house. However, unbeknownst to them, their loyal canine had embarked on a difficult and solitary journey to reunite with them.
The dog walked tirelessly for over 62 miles for 14 days until she was spotted and rescued by a group of workers outside an office in Qidong city on Monday. The dog had injuries on her paws with bleeding toes when she was found and appeared to be quite depressed after being unable to find her owners, according to the rescuers.
Pictures taken by the employees show the undernourished and seemingly sad dog lying on the road with her head down. While taking care of the dog temporarily, the workers used WeChat, a popular Chinese messenger app, to share information and track down the pet owners.
Within a day of posting on social media, the Chinese family recognized their beloved pet dog, Ping An, in the pictures and hurried to retrieve her from the company’s location. In a touching video, the family can be seen caressing and embracing their golden retriever as they were joyfully reunited after four months.
According to her owners, Ping An is receiving treatment for her injuries after being taken to a veterinarian. Moved by the dog’s loyalty, the family expressed to reporters that they would keep Ping An by their side for the remainder of her life.
“Ping An, you’ve worked hard,” the owner says. “You just stay home from now on. [We] would never send you away.”
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