When the couple got the opportunity to relocate to Melbourne, their excitement was tempered by dread as they realised Australia wouldn’t allow pets to be brought directly from India.
A viral video on Instagram shows how a couple from Hyderabad refused to leave their pet dog behind when moving to Australia, choosing instead to face a labyrinth of rules and a 190 day separation to bring him home.
Pet parenting has become a popular term in modern times. More and more young couples are adopting a pet as their child and going to great lengths to prioritise their well-being, emotional security and place within the family. For IT professionals and pet parents, John and Divya, Sky was not “just a dog”. He was their family. The golden retriever was their source of joy, just like a child, he brought warmth, routine, emotional comfort and unconditional love into their lives.
So, when the couple got the opportunity to relocate to Melbourne, their excitement was tempered by dread as they realised Australia wouldn’t allow pets to be brought directly from India. This wasn’t just a logistical glitch; it was a rule that would keep them apart from Sky for 180 days requiring a transit via a third country. “Money is replaceable, but love for him isn’t,” the caption on the Instagram video plainly reads; a sentiment they echoed in every step of their journey.
Once in Melbourne, the couple’s new apartment was quiet and empty without Sky’s familiar presence. Back home in India, Sky struggled. “He started having fits,” Divya explains. “It’s an anxiety issue, his legs or hands would just freeze.” The vet confirmed what they feared; separation anxiety. For John and Divya, the distance wasn’t just emotional anymore; it was harming the dog who had trusted them completely.
They weren’t wealthy, and every rupee mattered. “We were not born with a silver spoon,” John admits. “We had to save every penny to bring him here.” Their decision wasn’t made lightly, it was made with love.
They began saving aggressively, putting aside parts of their salaries, quietly planning Sky’s journey. “We reached out to a couple of agents online,” John says. What followed was a bureaucratic and financial maze.
Microchipping came first. “That’s the identification of the pet,” he explains. Then blood tests, ministry clearances, and finally the most daunting requirement of all, a six-month quarantine in a rabies-free country.
Choosing where Sky would wait was another emotional decision. “He’s a Hindi guy,” Divya shares with a soft laugh. “All the cues we give him are in Hindi.” So, Dubai felt familiar, closer to home in language and tone, even if the distance remained cruel.
The 180-day separation tested them relentlessly. “We took the biggest risk of our lives,” the couple admits. “Every single day, we were counting on that app, 60 days left, 80 days left. Each and every day.” They told no one about the money. “Not even our family,” John says. The pressure was theirs alone to carry.
Questions from people around them hurt more than they let on. “People kept asking why we would spend so much when we could get a new puppy,” John says. He pauses before adding, “Maybe they don’t understand what Sky means to us.”
After six months in quarantine, Sky finally boarded a flight from Dubai to Melbourne. Ten more days in isolation followed before the reunion. “We knew he was coming,” John says. “But for him, he had no idea.”
When Sky finally stepped out and heard the word home, Divya bent down and whispered, “Sky, tu Melbourne aa gaya.” And just like that, the waiting ended, not with fireworks, but with a dog, a family, a tasty treat that said “Welcome Sky” and the certainty that love, when tested, only grows stronger.
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