Gobi has been found! Marathon-running stray dog reunites with owner

[Photo/Twitter account of Dion Leonard]

An Australian marathon runner has found his missing stray dog Gobi, whom he first encountered when the dog persistently followed during a marathon in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

The pair, Gobi and Dion Leonard, touched many hearts as the local stray followed Leonard throughout the 7-day, 250-kilometer marathon across mountains and deserts in Hami prefecture.

The 41-year-old Leonard then decided to bring Gobi back home to Scotland, and launched a campaign to raise money for the expenses. However, Gobi, who was due to arrive in Beijing this week to start a four-month process of medical checks before flying to the UK in time for Christmas, instead went missing in Urumqi, China Daily reported.

Leonard returned to Urumqi on Aug 21 and began his search for Gobi, which quickly went viral on Chinese social media. The Facebook page "Bring Gobi Home" currently has over 17,500 followers.

The good news came late on Wednesday when the page announced that Gobi had been found.

"She's safe & well, a wee sore leg but over joyed to see Dion as you will see in the video! Sticks to him like glue! A massive thank you to all the support, especially the group of Volunteers that have been working tirelessly to find her!" the page wrote.