The pandemic couldn’t keep one adventurous little dachshund away from her family.
Pipsqueak, or Pip, traveled more than 10,000 miles from the United States to Australia to reunite with her family after COVID-19 restrictions kept them apart for five months, reported CNN.
The Eilbeck family — Guy, Zoe, and their two sons — met Pip in Italy in 2018 while on a four-year sailing trip around the world. They instantly knew she had to be part of their family and brought her on board.
The Eilbecks were still on their boat voyage when the new coronavirus pandemic hit. They realized that heightening restrictions meant they had to get back to their home in Australia.
But Australia has strict requirements for bringing pets into the country. Since Pip was from Italy, the Eilbecks knew they couldn’t complete the process, which requires timely vaccinations and blood tests.
They docked their yacht in South Carolina and left Pip with a friend in North Carolina. Then they boarded a flight for Australia, thinking they would be able to come back shortly for their pup and continue their trip.
But pandemic travel restrictions complicated their return to the United States. Once it became clear they wouldn’t be able to pick up Pip themselves, the Eilbecks figured out another way to get her home.
Through a combination of tireless work and the help of kindhearted caregivers and volunteers, they were able to arrange Pip’s paperwork and get her into Australia, via Los Angeles and New Zealand.
“She’s part of our family,” Guy told the Daily Mail. “It’s been five months, and that’s a long time to miss anybody.”
Travel restrictions due to the pandemic kept complicating efforts, but the pup finally made it home for a joyous reunion.
“When she heard our voices, she came barreling into our arms,” Zoe told CNN. “It was absolutely amazing to have her back after all that time.”
Pipsqueak isn’t the only animal to have a happy post-quarantine reunion with her guardians. Check out this teary reunion of a man and his donkey.
