Left behind due to Covid, pet travels 4,000KM for owner’s wedding
dubai — Man’s best friend finds its way home, eventually. Smurf, a seven-year-old Yorkshire Terrier, travelled 4,000km from Dubai into the arms of his owner in India. The pet dog was left behind at the height of Covid-triggered restrictions after his owner had to travel back home in a repatriation flight in early June.
“At that time, flights to India were only for emergency repatriations. No airline was accepting pets,” said his owner Malavika Kurian, who left Smurf under her aunt’s care in Dubai.
On Wednesday, after a fourmonth separation, Smurf was finally reunited with his family in Kottayam, Kerala. The pet was put on an Etihad Airways flight from Abu Dhabi to Bengaluru last week. Then, Smurf had to take a 12-hour road trip.
“From Bengaluru, the company organised a road journey to Kottayam along with a handler. Fortunately, there is no need for pets to undergo mandatory quarantine,” said an ecstatic Malavika, who is set to get married in December.
“My mother and I are over the Moon. We wanted Smurf to be here in time for the wedding. He is a big part of our family as we have had him home since he was one month old.”
Travelling long distances without their humans is a stressful affair for dogs. “He wasn’t eating during the journey. He ran into our home as soon as he saw us, and is now adjusting well,” said Malavika.
pet relocation amid a pandemic
Sujith Gangadharan, managing partner at Pet Express Animals — the company that organised Smurf ’s ‘repatriation’ — said pet relocation services have seen a boom amid the pandemic.
“Hundreds of people who had to return to their home countries due to job losses were forced to leave their pets behind because airlines were not allowing pet relocations in the early months during the pandemic,” said Gangadharan, who has been in the animal transportation business for 18 years.
In the UAE, pets are usually allowed to travel as accompanied ‘excess baggage’ in Iata-prescribed travel crates. The pet is placed in a temperature-controlled cargo hold of the aircraft. The second option is via manifest cargo, where the pet travels as an unaccompanied shipment. “Families have to be prepared for (lots of) ... paperwork such as vaccination records, export and import regulations, health certificates, etc,” he added.
Airlines flying to the UK, the US, Europe, and India began accepting pets around June 23. Gangadharan said most of the relocations his company handled were to the UK. “About 150 to 200 pets were repatriated to various parts of the world since June.”
About 90 per cent of the pets were cats and dogs “but we have had a few hamsters, rabbits, and guinea pigs”, added Gangadharan.
Relocation, according to Gangadharan, can be an expensive affair. Relocation to India can cost anywhere between Dh5,000 to Dh6,000 for small dogs and goes up to Dh12,000 for larger ones. Transferring a cat costs between Dh3,000 to Dh5,000.
He wasn’t eating during the journey. He ran into our home as soon as he saw us, and is now adjusting well.” Malavika Kurian, pet owner