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Hundreds of dogs and cats landed in Athens on 18 March, traveling with their owners on a dedicated evacuation flight intended for Greeks with pets who were stranded due to the ongoing situation.Conflict in the Middle East.

Emotional moments took place at Athens airport as small dogs jumped with excitement upon being released from their special travel carriers. The government-organised Aegean flight from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates transported 45 pets along with 101 passengers.

Our pets are not belongings, they are members of our families,” stated Nikos Chrysakis, the Greek Interior Ministry’s Special Secretary for the Protection of Companion Animals. He mentioned that the interior and foreign ministries had collaborated for several days “so we can achieve this positive outcome, allowing both animals and people to return home safely.

The Israeli and American strike against Iran hascaused chaos in air travelthroughout the Middle East. Nations have been compelled to repeatshut their airspaceand halt thousands of flights at major airline centers like Dubai and Qatar as missiles passed overhead. Hundreds of thousands of passengers were left stuck.

It is extremely challenging to travel abroad with your pets

For Danai Koukoulomati, securing a flight that could also accommodate her cat Muay Thai was essential.

“To me, my pet, my cat is part of my family. There’s no way I’m leaving him behind,” she said. However, she was unable to find any flights that allowed animals in the cabin or cargo area. “It’s extremely challenging to travel out of the country with your pets.”

Regarding handling the war, Muay Thai was much more composed than she was. When explosions occurred, “he would hide in the bathroom and that’s it. He was a calm cat,” Koukoulomati remarked. “I wasn’t as calm as my cat. I need to learn from him.”

Alexandra Papayanis, who has resided in Dubai for five years, arrived with herdogSirtaki, named for a Greek dance, and a second dog she introduced for a friend. She also mentioned she had faced difficulties in finding an evacuation flight that would accommodate pets.

“It’s extremely important. I mean, our pets are part of our family,” she stated. “And in these challenging situations, the issue we’re dealing with is how to get our dogs and cats back.” Returning toGreecewith Sirtaki “was absolutely amazing”, she said.

Another traveler, Maria Theochari, couldn’t imagine leaving Dubai without her dog Matisse. “Just like my children, I have Matisse,” she mentioned. “This is significant for me. I don’t distinguish between my pet and my children; they are the same to me.”