Your playlist will load after this ad A special flight from Canada brought the pets home. Source: 1 NEWS
It was an emotional reunion for 11 owners in Auckland today as they were finally able to cuddle their furry whanau.
Danielle Anderson and her partner Karl hadn’t seen their husky Reid in 17 months. We were in the process of bringing him back from Canada when Covid hit, Anderson told 1 NEWS.
From there, organising a flight became difficult. That’s when she decided to start a Facebook group for Kiwis trying to get their pet home.
Anderson, with a combined effort from Air Canada, MPI and Worldwide Animal Travel meant 42 pets boarded the 14-hour flight from Vancouver to Auckland.
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“When flights didn’t resume, we were heartbroken.”
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Sage’s owners say they can’t wait to pick her up from quarantine. After more than a year apart, Ellis said they “can’t wait” to pick her up from quarantine and introduce her to her new home. The flight was arranged by Worldwide Animal Travel, which has already run two pet charter flights to Australia and may arrange further flights to Aotearoa. Geri Hurring is moving back to New Zealand soon, and her cats Romeo and Miley will meet her here. There was a lot of anxiety about whether the flight would happen, she said.
Source: Ministry for Primary Industries
A Noah’s ark charter flight from Canada, filled with dozens of beloved cats and dogs, means pet owners across Aotearoa will be reunited with their furry companions.
Some of them have been waiting nearly 12 months, separated due to COVID-19, not knowing if they would ever see their pets again.
But for 36 owners, that wait is just about over.
Jennifer Ellis and Geoffrey Nijhuis moved from Canada to New Zealand last year but were unable to bring their dog Sage with them.
“In June we had to make the tough decision to leave Sage with my parents and travel over to New Zealand to start our new jobs. When flights didn’t resume, we were heartbroken,” Jennifer says.