Earlier this month, Rebecca Change left South Korea to move to her husband’s home in Croatia. Of course, it was to include enormous changes to Rebecca’s life; leaving friends and family behind, but there was no way Rebecca was leaving her beloved dog.
According to Newsweek, Rebecca’s dog, named ChowChow had been a rescued pet she found in a trash can in Seoul in 2020 when the puppy was only a month or two old. The corgi puppy was dirty and undernourished, but before long the two bonded, and there was just no way Rebecca would ever leave her dog behind.
So three years later, Rebecca decided to make the journey back to her husband’s birthplace and began making arrangements to bring ChowChow with her. The procedure is very complex when trying to move a dog outside of the European Union to one within the EU, and for four months, Rebecca worked on her plan for her beloved pooch which included, aside from the usual microchip, vaccines, but also a series of blood tests proving the dog is not susceptible to rabies before being eligible to travel.
And when all that was done, there was one huge hurdle left. Airline weight restrictions for pets dictated that ChowChow was too heavy to ride in the cabin with his owner and therefore had to be placed in a carrier traveling in the baggage hold of the plane.
When Rebecca arrived in Croatia, she made a TikTok video of her dog coming out on the conveyor and said she could not stop crying because she was so glad he made the trip, and they could be together.
i cant stop crying and my heart melted because of our brave little girl.
Tiktok
Many of the comments expressed their relief that ChowChow was safe after the 20 hour flight, but then again, the internet often reacts with opposing views. Some critics stated the crate was much too small for the long flight, while others said they never would have allowed that to happen and would have made alternate arrangements – perhaps by “boat even if it took months.”
Rebecca did respond and acknowledged that people truly are entitled to their opinions, but she thinks she made the right one. She hopes in the future that airlines can work with pet owners to ensure better transportation options for their beloved four legged friends.
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