Greece launches an animal airlift to evacuate pets and their owners from the Mideast
ABC News
Dozens of dogs and cats have arrived in Athens with their owners aboard a special evacuation flight for Greeks with pets who were trapped by the current war in the Middle East
ATHENS, Greece -- This was an animal airlift. Dozens of dogs and cats arrived in Athens on Wednesday with their owners aboard a special evacuation flight for Greeks with pets who were trapped by the current war in the Middle East.
Emotional scenes unfolded at Athens airport as small dogs leaped for joy after being let out of their special travel carry cases. The government-organized Aegean flight from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates carried 45 pets and 101 people.
“Our pets are not luggage, they are part of our families,” said the Greek Interior Ministry's Special Secretary for the Protection of Companion Animals Nikos Chrysakis. He said the interior and foreign ministries had worked together for days “so we can have this good result, for the animals and people to return home safely.”
The Israeli and U.S. attack on Iran has wreaked havoc on airline travel across the Middle East. Countries have been forced to repeatedly shut their airspace and cancel thousands of flights in major airline hubs such as Dubai and Qatar as missiles flew overhead. Hundreds of thousands of travelers found themselves stranded.
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