The dog pictured above became stuck in the front bumper after it was hit by the vehicle while crossing a highway in Hunan Province, media reported on Thursday. Photo: CFP

A dog that miraculously survived being hit by a car and then a 400 kilometer road trip stuck behind the front bumper has been adopted - by the driver that hit it.

The driver, surnamed Zhang from Loudi, Hunan Province, said he had struck the dog with his car on a highway March 26.

He was traveling from Feng

huang, another Hunan city, to Loudi - a distance of around 400 kilometers, the Changsha-based Xiaoxiang Morning Herald reported.

"I was driving pretty fast and was sure it was either dead or had limped away, so I didn't stop the car to check," said Zhang.

Zhang said he soon heard a bark come from under the car. He then pulled over to find the dog had become caught in a space in the front bumper and against the radiator.

Unable to remove the dog himself, Zhang said he continued his trip with the dog still lodged in front until he reached a pet hospital in Loudi.

There surprised vets successfully removed the dog and found it only suffered a minor wound from the ordeal.

Touched by the experience, Zhang decided to keep the dog as a pet.

"It made me feel that life is so precious. I think we were destined to meet," said Zhang.

Xiaoxiang Morning Herald