Recently in South Korea, a canine has made the headlines for walking more than 20km to reunite with his owner.
He had initially gone missing for 41 days, having run off while attending a dog convention in Moksang-dong, Daejeon.
However, the dog, a one-year-old Korean Jindo, braved the wilderness to return home to his owner last Friday (3 May).
The Korea Herald reported that a local YouTube channel posted about the dog, a Jindo breed living in the city of Daejeon with his owner, Yoon Jeong-sang.
Yoon, a football fan who owns 10 Jindos, affectionately named him after South Korean footballer Son Heung-min, mistaking his name to be Son Hong-min.
Source: 명견을 찾아서 TV on YouTube
On 24 March, Hong-min attended the convention with Yoon in Moksang-dong, Daejeon.
Upon hearing sounds from a loudspeaker and the barks from other dogs, the then-11-month-old dog grew scared and dashed off.
Yoon then contacted local animal shelters and district offices in an effort to find Hong-min.
However, he didn’t hold out much hope for the canine to make his own way home.
This was due to the convention taking place at a venue that’s more than 20km away from their home. In addition, the area was new to the dog.
However, on 3 May, Yoon heard his dogs bark at a junkyard he operated. Upon seeing brown fur reminiscent of Hong-min, he called out: “Hong-min, is that you?”
Source: 명견을 찾아서 TV on YouTube
Seeing a dog wagging its tail, he went closer and realised that it was indeed Hong-min who had finally returned home.
Yoon shared that Hong-min was on the streets for more than a month. Despite this, he did not lose much weight or sustain any serious injuries.
He had simply attracted a few ticks while travelling through the wilderness, which he required medical attention for.
After spending a few days lying down at home, Hong-min made a full recovery and has since been eating and playing well.
Yoon went on to praise the canine for being particularly smart and gentle from a young age. He had been able to learn basic commands such as “sit” or “get up” unusually quickly.
Hong-min’s actions, though, aren’t all that unusual for his species in particular. According to PetMD, Jindos are loyal and dignified, with unwavering devotion for their human owners.
Source: PetMD for illustration purposes only
Provided they receive proper socialisation and training, these dogs can become suitable pets for committed owners.
A similar case to Hong-min’s occurred back in 2000, according to the Korea Herald. A Jindo dog named Jinsuni made her way home in Yongin, located in the Gyeonggi province.
She did so several times, once after a kidnapping that took her to Gochang in the North Jeolla Province, 200km away.
Also read: Dog In China Spends 14 Days Trekking Back Home To Owners ‘Cause She Misses Them
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Featured image adapted from 명견을 찾아서 TV on YouTube.