Frantic pet owners are chartering a plane to get their pets home from the other side of the world after they became stuck abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Around 70 cats and dogs will leave Vancouver to fly to Melbourne this week, with the flight costing owners more than $100,000.
Several Australian families, who had been living in Canada and returned back home, had been forced to either leave their pets or delay their move because of a lack of flights and complications with animal quarantine.
Among the animals are Allan Smith's two family dogs, pug Poochini, and Jack Russell Roxie.
Mr Smith said the family, who is from Adelaide, is desperate to be reunited with their pooches after months of stress.
They returned to Australian in December, before the pandemic took hold, after living in Canada for 15 years. The animals were due to follow in April.
But Mr Smith couldn't get them on a flight and arranged for them to stay with friends before they could be flown to Australia.
"There was just nothing, nothing available," he said.
"You can't just abandon them.
"They're members of our family, so we miss them."
Mr Smith is waiting for the final bill to get them to Adelaide, but expects it to be well over $17,000.
Mark and Tania Blackwell are also awaiting the departure of their two German Shepherds.
They have stayed in Canada until the animals could leave with them.
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The Perth couple was due to fly out of Vancouver on March 30 with Kaos and Gidget but were told a week before their departure the airline wasn't flying pets anymore.
"When we realised we couldn't get the dogs home we decided to stay with them. We hoped it would be a couple of months," Mrs Blackwell said.
"It's definitely a stressful time, it feels like there's light at the end of the tunnel."
The flight is costing the couple around $10,000.
Worldwide Animal Travel has worked with Jetpets to charter the Air Canada plane.
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"These animals have been stranded due to COVID-19 and limited flights," a Worldwide Animal Travel spokeswoman told nine.com.au.
"The pets have been stuck since March, so the families are undoubtedly very excited and relieved to finally be reunited."
"Global relocation of family pets has become extremely challenging since the COVID-19 pandemic," a Jetpets spokesman said.
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"Worldwide Animal Travel and Jetpets have partnered, in conjunction with Air Canada and the Australian quarantine team to facilitate this bulk movement and help reunite pets and their families across the globe from Vancouver to Melbourne.
"Nothing is more pleasing for our team than a safe and happy family reunion."
As reported by 9News, expat pet owners have had a nightmare trying to get animals home.
Not only have flights been limited, but Melbourne was the only airport allowed to take pets - and it is closed except to limited cargo flights.
The quarantine facility in the city- the country's only one- was also booked full for months.
But now, after a rule change, pets are also allowed to fly into Sydney and transfer to Melbourne, while quarantine places have now opened up.
Contact journalist Sarah Swain: Sswain@nine.com.au
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