Watch: Kerala student in Ukraine refuses to leave behind Siberian husky in Ukraine, brings it to India

The Indian government recently amended its rules and allowed those returning from Ukraine to bring back their pets with them
Arya Aldrin with her Siberian husky, Serah
Arya Aldrin with her Siberian husky, Serah

Amid the news of Indian refugees being stranded in Ukraine during the invasion by Russia, a certain image has captured the hearts of netizens on social media. A picture of Arya Aldrin holding her pet Siberian husky, Serah went viral on social media. Arya is a student from Kerala who was studying medicine at the National Pirogov Memorial Medical University in Vinnytsya.

Arya, like all other foreign country students in Ukraine, was forced to leave the university when Russia commenced its attacks on Ukraine. However, she refused to leave the husky behind when everyone began making preparations to escape to the neighbouring country.

In a move that further won the hearts of every pet lover out there, Arya walked almost 20 kms and carried the five-month-old pet in the freezing Ukrainian winter with her after a bus dropped her near the Rome border.

Chitra, Arya’s cousin in Kerala, said that Arya and her friend took turns to hold the dog while walking to the border.

According to reports, after two days of intense struggle, Arya and her dog Serah are now safe at an airport in Romania!

Take a look at this adorable, heart-warming video of the husky boarding the flight below:

Her family confirmed, “Both Arya and Serah are doing fine at the airport. They are both tired from the long walk in the freezing temperatures. They received adequate food and water supplies. But we are just waiting to hear from her on whether the dog would be allowed on the flight. Since there are a lot of Indian students waiting to be evacuated, we are not sure if the officials would permit the dog to fly with her. But she’s very determined that she would not fly without her (sic).”

However, her family’s concerns were nullified as the Indian government — in what came as a reassuring move — amended its rules on March 1 and allowed those returning from Ukraine to bring their pets back with them. The government’s move followed the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India’s appeal for relaxation of norms.

Kerala Education Minister V Sivankutty heaped praises on Arya in a post on Facebook. He wrote in Malayalam, “Without abandoning her pet dog, Arya is on her way to India from a war-torn country. It is born out of love and the world benefits from such love (sic).”

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