Smurf has been with Roopa Kurian and her daughter Malavika Kurian since he was a month-old.
KOTTAYAM: Smurf chose to go hungry throughout the 26-hour journey from Dubai to Puthupally, first by flight, and then via road until he was back with his family.
Smurf, a seven-year-old Yorkshire terrier, has been with Roopa Kurian and her daughter Malavika Kurian since he was a month-old. But they were separated for months as he couldn't travel on the repatriation flight with Roopa and Malavika when they returned to Kerala on June 4. "The dog was gifted to my daughter by her friend," said Roopa Kurian. "Her marriage is in December and she wanted Smurf to be present on the occasion at any cost," she added. The family spent around ?1.75 lakh to bring their pet home.
Roopa Kurian, who was working as a journalist in Dubai for 23 years returned, along with her daughter, to her native Puthuppally during the lockdown. Her husband Cherian Kurian had died four years ago. "We came by the repatriation flight and pets were not allowed," said Kurian. Smurf was left with the family of Roopa Kurian's sister in Dubai.
Smurf with Malavika Kurian The family was helped in their efforts by travel agents and the ticket was cleared in an Etihad Airways from Abu Dhabi. The flight landed in Bengaluru around 1.30 am on Wednesday and after the clearance by the veterinary medical team, the dog proceeded to Puthuppally in a car.
"Apart from the driver, there was a pet handler with Smurf. Every five hours the car stopped and Smurf was taken out for a walk. He refused to have food all the while," said Kurian. He even underwent all the screening processes that a traveller is subjected to during the pandemic.
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Very few flights have a separate section for pets and few airports in India have the facility for clearing pets as passengers. Smurf returned to normal after meeting Malavika and Roopa. Despite the jetlag, he played his usual tricks and had food after a bath. Malavika Kurian is currently doing a course in culinary art in New York in the US and is here for her marriage in December.
Keep Your Pet Safe & Healthy With These Wearables
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With location and activity tracking, these wearables can make sure your pet is both safe and healthy. (Image: Thinkstock)
With location and activity tracking, these wearables can make sure your pet is both safe and healthy. (Image: Thinkstock)
One of the common gripes about GPS collars has been the weight. But the Nuzzle GPS Collar is lightweight. It not only tracks the location and activity of pets, but also has integrated geofencing and can be submerged in 10-feet of water for up to 30 minutes.
One of the common gripes about GPS collars has been the weight. But the Nuzzle GPS Collar is lightweight. It not only tracks the location and activity of pets, but also has integrated geofencing and ..
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Designed in high quality leather, the Link AKC smart collar is a convex-shaped device that fits the natural shape of a dog’s neck. It can track a pet’s location with the push of a button and you can set custom notification alerts if the dog is on the loose. The collar also comes with a remote-controlled light to help an owner find his dog in the dark.
Designed in high quality leather, the Link AKC smart collar is a convex-shaped device that fits the natural shape of a dog’s neck. It can track a pet’s location with the push of a button and you can ..
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Weighing just 1.2 ounces (35 grams), the IXP7-rated waterproof device can last for up to five days before needing to be recharged. The device can be attached onto most dog or cat collars with a snap-on clip, and can be quickly located using a smartphone app or web browser. Pets can be found at all times with real-time location tracking.
Weighing just 1.2 ounces (35 grams), the IXP7-rated waterproof device can last for up to five days before needing to be recharged. The device can be attached onto most dog or cat collars with a snap-..
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The little waterproof device can track your pet anywhere using GPS and WiFi, find your pet in the dark or at poor reception areas by sounding an alarm and activating an LED light, and set unlimited safe zones with the virtual fence feature. It also lets you customise activity goals and daily monitoring based on your pet’s physical characteristics.
The little waterproof device can track your pet anywhere using GPS and WiFi, find your pet in the dark or at poor reception areas by sounding an alarm and activating an LED light, and set unlimited s..
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The PetPace tracks heart rate, respiration, temperature, and calorie burn in addition to your pet’s activity. But unlike other pet trackers, it doesn’t talk to your smartphone. The collar can only talk to the included PetPace Gateway base station, which must be plugged into your home router. Because the Gateway is meant to stay at home and transmit data, you can monitor your pet’s activity while it’s out of the house. But if you’re out for a walk with the dog, you can’t access the activity data until you get back home and reconnect with the Gateway.
The PetPace tracks heart rate, respiration, temperature, and calorie burn in addition to your pet’s activity. But unlike other pet trackers, it doesn’t talk to your smartphone. The collar can only ta..
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Whistle 3 uses smart technology to track your pet’s location and activity. Its pet tracker platform uses WiFi, Bluetooth, cellular and GPS technology to enable pet owners get faster escape alerts and quickly track down a lost pet using their smartphone. The app has a geofencing feature that lets pet owners create safe places for the home, office, or pet-friendly vacation spots.
Whistle 3 uses smart technology to track your pet’s location and activity. Its pet tracker platform uses WiFi, Bluetooth, cellular and GPS technology to enable pet owners get faster escape alerts and..
