A Korean Jindo dog, who was lost for 41 days, is making headlines in South Korea after travelling a long way on his own just to go back home.
A South Korean YouTube channel shared the dog’s story on May 07. The video, entitled “Fawn-colored Hongmin is back home” told the story of how the dog, named Son Hongmin, disappeared and returned home on his own.
Son Hongmin lives in the city of Daejeon with his owner Yoon Jeongsang. Yoon, who is a dog-loving soccer fan, named the dog after the famous soccer player Son Heungmin.
According to a KBS report, Yoon went to a Jindo dog convention held at a park in Moksang-dong in Daejeon on March 24 with Son Hongmin.
Son Hongmin, who was 11 months old at that time, got scared of the other dogs’ barking at the convention and ran away.
Yoon got worried and reached out to the local animal shelters, district offices, and even locals just to find his beloved dog – but all his efforts were in vain.
The dog owner was also losing hope at finding Son Hongmin, as the convention was held over 20km away from home. In addition to that, it was the dog’s first time in the area.
But a miracle happened on May 03, when Yoon was alerted by his nine other Jindo dogs barking at the junkyard he runs.
He saw a fawn-colored dog that resembled Son Hongmin, so the worried owner called out saying, “Hongmin, is that you?”
And alas, the dog wagging his tail was indeed Son Hongmin! Despite wandering on his own for over a month, the dog didn’t look like he lost a lot of weight or suffered any major injuries.
However, he still needed medical care for all the ticks he got while wandering alone in the wilderness.
According to Yoon, when the pooch went back home, he spent a few days lying down. Now, Son Hongmin is back to his original state and is eating and playing well again.
Yoon also noted that Son Hongmin has been smart and gentle since he was a puppy. The owner said he has picked up on basic commands like “sit” or “get up” very quickly.
On Son Hongmin’s miraculous return, Yoon said it feels like a dream to meet his beloved dog again.
He added, “Thank you for coming home and I will raise you well for the rest of my life.”
Jindo dogs, which are indigenous to the Jindo Island of South Korea, are known to be exceptionally loyal and smart dogs.