Brave Little Corgi Saves 6 Dogs & Their Viral Journey Deserves A Pixar Movie

In a heart-tugging display of survival, a video of a pack of allegedly stolen dogs escaping from a truck in northeastern China has gone viral, creating renewed demand for stronger animal protection laws in the country — and even some netizens begging for their journey to be made into a movie. The clip was captured by a passerby, who recorded seven domesticated dogs — including a German shepherd, a Pekingese, and a brave little corgi who proved to be a heroic leader, even if not often considered one of the dog breeds most likely to save you in an emergency — walking along a busy highway with no humans in sight (via the South China Morning Post).

After the video gained traction online, a story emerged and alleged that the dogs had been stolen from a local village to be sold as meat, a highly controversial but not illegal practice in China, and somehow escaped from the truck, miraculously making a 10-mile journey back to their homes. Naturally, this won over hearts everywhere, as they practically wrote their own potential Pixar movie along the way. Think "Toy Story" but with seven unique dogs instead of toys or a trek home à la "Elio" but within China, not across space.

As the clip made the rounds on social media, people across the globe were shocked by the dogs' camaraderie and resilience. One video viewer commented, "This story should be a Pixar movie. Thank god they were reunited but imagine so many others not be this lucky. My heart breaks each time." Meanwhile, another summed up the video by saying, "This is a beautiful triumph for the brave dogs and my heart goes out to them."

Although many dog-related films are fictional, some are based on true stories, while others are at least inspired by real-life pups. And just like the heart-rending journey of the viral Chinese pooches, many real-life dog adventures that have been made into movies focus on loyalty and survival.

Some examples of truth-based films featuring resilient dogs include 1995's animated "Balto," in which a brave wolf-dog hybrid (voiced by Kevin Bacon) is tasked with helping acquire life-saving medicine for sick children, and 2006's "Eight Below," in which a pack of abandoned sled dogs fight for survival in the arctic wilderness. There is also 2009's "Hachi: A Dog's Tale," which tells the story of a Japanese akita who faithfully waits for his deceased owner (played by Richard Gere) every day at the train station for nearly a decade.

Meanwhile, there was 2008's "Marley & Me," based on the best-selling memoir of the same name that chronicles writer John Grogan's life alongside his spirited yellow Labrador retriever companion, and the 1993's "Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey," a loose adaptation of a Sheila Burnford novel that features her pets. Of course, just like the incredibly compelling story that came out of China, most dog-centric films require you to have a box of tissues on hand.