'He's our child': Hyderabad couple spends $16,000 to reunite with their pet dog in Australia
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "'He's our child': Hyderabad couple spends $16,000 to reunite with their pet dog in Australia")
Sky, the Golden Retriever Photograph: (Instagram (@sky_themagicalboy))
An Indian couple spent nearly ₹15 lakh and waited six months to bring their pet dog to Australia, proving that family includes paws as well
A heartwarming story from India is reminding people why a dog’s love is often called unconditional. When Divya and John decided to move from Hyderabad to Australia, they made one thing clear: their pet dog, Sky, was coming with them, no matter how difficult or expensive the process became. Their excitement about relocating quickly turned into stress after they learned about Australia’s strict pet import rules. Since India is classified as a non–rabies-free country, dogs cannot be flown directly into Australia. Instead, pets must spend at least six months in a rabies-free nation before they are eligible to enter.
For the couple, this meant an emotional separation, endless paperwork, and a cost of nearly ₹15 lakh. The couple shared their journey in a video posted on Instagram by the page Kahaani of Tales. In the clip, they addressed the question that many people asked them: why spend such a huge amount on a dog instead of adopting another one later? Their answer was simple: Sky is family.
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To help him settle, Divya and John stayed with Sky in Dubai for the first month. After that, he remained in a boarding facility for the rest of the six months. The entire journey took about 190 days and involved multiple medical tests, vaccinations, documentation, and quarantine procedures.
Leaving Sky behind was heartbreaking. The couple stayed in constant touch, checking on him daily through calls and video updates, counting the days until they could finally reunite. Every moment of waiting came with anxiety, but they never doubted their decision.
When Sky finally arrived in Australia, the relief and happiness were overwhelming. All the stress, time, and money suddenly felt insignificant. For Divya and John, the journey wasn’t about logistics or cost, it was about keeping their family together.
“To some, this might seem excessive,” they said. “But Sky is not ‘just a dog.’ He’s our child. And we would choose this path again without hesitation.”
