For most owners, the longest they are away from their pets is when they go on holiday. But Freshta Siddiqui was forced to be away from her beloved pets for ten long months.
When Freshta and her family fled Afghanistan, she had to say goodbye to her dog Lucky and her cat Leo.
Heartbreaking separation
The heartbroken owner made the tough decision to put them on a plane organised by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) to take them from Kabul to Vancouver. She had no idea if she’d ever see her pets again.
While Freshta and her mother headed to Pakistan, Lucky and Leo went to Canada, where the SPCA paid for them to be looked after in a shelter or foster home.
Freshta spent the next ten months living in Pakistan before she could come to Canada to collect Lucky, an Anatolian Shepherd, who Freshta describes as being part of her heart. She adopted Lucky after rescuing him from the streets of Kabul, where children were abusing him.
Emotional reunion
When the moment came for Freshta to be reunited with three-year-old Lucky, there wasn’t a dry eye to be had. Freshta ran towards Lucky, saying “Salem, Salem” in Arabic, which means peace and hello. Lucky couldn’t stop wagging his tail in delight at being back with his owner.
Watch the wonderful reunion:
When Lucky first arrived in Vancouver, the SPCA struggled to find a suitable foster home for him as the dog suffered from separation anxiety, trauma, and a knack for being able to open doors. A foster home was finally found for him in Portland, Oregon, where he eventually relaxed into a funny and goofy dog who loved to play.
Now Lucky and Freshta can start a new chapter together.
