Surveillance footage shows the clearly delighted canines as they scamper around the shopping centre, ignoring the calls of cafe staff.
“All the huskies ran out of the cafe,” a member of staff, surnamed Huo, told Xigua Video, adding: “It’s very lucky they were found so soon.”
The incident happened on March 12 when the owner visited her cafe and the huskies became very excited.
“The huskies haven’t seen the owner for a while,” Huo said.
A customer then arrived but forgot to close the door, which was when the dogs made their bid for freedom.
Staff immediately chased after the excited canines, and one female employee ushered some back into the cafe, while Huo scooped the rest up in his arms one by one.
After a while, most of the huskies were found, leaving a few intrepid mutts still enjoying their fun. With a bit more effort, Huo eventually rounded them all up.
“To ‘punish’ the disobedient huskies, we gave them delicious chicken legs,” Huo joked.
Many people on mainland social media were delighted by the story.
“Hahaha, it feels like the joy of pupils running out of a school,” one person said, while another wrote: “The great carnival of huskies.”
“Let’s enjoy the great escape, huskies,” said a third.
“It looks so much fun. How wonderful it would be if I met such a joyful escape,” another said.
Pet cafes have become increasingly popular in China.
According to Xifei Daily, 3,638 pet cafes were newly opened in Shanghai in 2020. To spend one hour at a cafe, the cost ranges from 60 yuan (US$8) to 200 yuan.
Chinese market research firm iiMedia Research reported in 2023 that the turnover of the country’s pet industry reached 494 billion yuan (US$68 billion) in 2022.