Amid anxiety over Indian citizens stranded in Ukraine, a viral image of a 20-year-old student has caught the attention of many on social media.
The picture had Arya Aldrin, a native of Kerala, on her way back to India, holding her pet husky, whom she refused to leave behind.
Aldrin wasn’t alone. Over the past few days, others like her have been planning to bring back their pets to India. Now, thanks to the Narendra Modi government tweaking rules on March 1 as “a one-time relaxation measure,” that process has become easier.
The government’s move followed the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India’s appeal for relaxation of norms.
PETA’s appeal came after an Indian student from the Kharkiv National University posted a video on social media on Feb. 27, highlighting the obstacles in bringing his pet dog Maliboo back to India.
The original rules say that anyone who wants to bring a pet from abroad has to produce proof of continuous stay of two years in that particular country, along with proof of transferring his or her residence to India, which implies an airline ticket. Additionally, advance custom permission is also required.