Sausage dog travels 10,000-miles to get home after COVID-19 lockdown

We all struggled during the lockdown, but few of us had it as tough as a little Daschund called Pipsqueak. The little cutie was on a sailing trip with her family, the Eilbecks, when the pandemic struck.

Pipsqueak couldn't go home!

When borders started to close, the Eilbecks had just 48 hours to jump on a plane back to Australia. But there was one big problem - Australia's quarantine rules meant they had to leave Pipsqueak behind!

So the Eilbecks docked in South Carolina, USA, left Pipsqueak with a family friend, and headed home. Back in Australia, Zoe Eilbeck had to get up at 4 am every day to make calls and file paperwork to arrange Pipsqueak's return trip.

It's a complicated process at the best of times, but Zoe found herself wrapped up in more red tape due to the pandemic-related disruption. But five months later, Pipsqueak finally got the all-clear to come home.

And so began a mammoth 10,000-mile journey that involved a night in a hotel suite, two long-haul planes trips in cargo, and a 10-day stay in quarantine!

A very special arrival

The Eilbecks were worried Pipsqueak wouldn't remember them, but all that vanished as soon as she came strutting out of the arrivals lounge.

"When she heard our voices, she came barreling into our arms," said Zoe. "It was absolutely amazing to have her back after all that time."