COVID-19: Family pay $10k to get stranded pet dog back to Australia

Moo Moo the chihuahua is back with his family in Australia after being stranded in London for seven months due to the COVID-19 pandemic — and the reunion did not come cheap.

He might look like your regular chihuahua but Moo Moo is a $10,000 dog — because that’s what it cost his family to get him back.

Of course that’s not counting the emotional cost of a seven-month fight to rescue their beloved pet.

Moo Moo’s extraordinary tale began in London last year on a day that initially seemed joyful.

His owner, Mel Howard had just given birth to a baby girl on March 11 — but that was also the day the World Health Organisation declared a global pandemic.

Ms Howard, her three-year-old son and new baby girl had planned to return to home to Australia in June but then the borders began to close and the airlines to shut down.

“We rushed to beat the lockdown, we had to go as all the flights were shutting down left, right and centre,” she said.

Mel Howard has been reunited with her ‘first baby’ Moo Moo after seven months. Picture: Mark Stewart

The Australian embassy rushed through her daughter’s citizenship in 48 hours but the UK was in lockdown by then.

“We literally got permission to leave on the Thursday and I had 48 hours to pack,” she said.

But this meant Moo Moo had to be left with a neighbour. There was no way they could get him on the same flight to come back to Australia on March 29.

“It broke my heart to leave him, he is like my baby — my baby before I had babies — and it was also really hard on my son Toby, he slept on Toby’s bed every night,” she said.

Mel Howard was devastated when she had to leave Moo Moo behind. Picture: Supplied

Moo Moo with Toby and Zara before they were separated. Picture: Supplied

“From March until October, twice a week we FaceTimed the dog,” she said.

Getting Moo Moo back home was no easy feat. Pet flights had stopped and the Post-Entry Quarantine facility (PEQ) in Mickleham, Victoria, reduced staff capacity due to COVID.

“If was really difficult because all pet flights stopped and there was a huge problem with quarantine, it took months. I pleaded with quarantine to get my son his dog back.”

Mel Howard and her kids Zara and Toby are happy to have Moo Moo back. Picture: Mark Stewart

The pandemic has separated many loved ones but there are thousands of Australians who are still waiting to reunite with their pets.

According to the quarantine centre there are 1500 animals booked in between now and the end of June.

Finally, seven months after the tiny pooch was left behind, Moo Moo travelled 17,000km and did 10 days in quarantine before being released to his loving family. He’s now the $10,000 dog because that is what it cost to get him home.

“He was worth every cent and more. The reunion was really emotional, my son was over the moon and he picked him a flower, he was so happy,” she said.

“Moo Moo just leapt into my arms, he keep doing it, he knew who we were, we were worried he might have forgotten us, but he hadn’t forgotten us at all.

“He was overjoyed and over the moon to see us again, he hadn’t forgotten us at all.

“He is doing really well but he has to learn not to chase kangaroos.”