"Ohana" means family

There’s been a recent spate of heart-wrenching Syrian and Cuban refugee stories, but let’s not forget the heart-warming ones that involved paw-rents who refused to leave their furkids behind. Here are the stories of three refugees who brought their pets along on their arduous journeys by foot and sea.
Pets Team 22 September 2015

Aslan and Rose 

The story of 17-year-old Syrian refugee Aslan and his pup, Rose, recently made its rounds on social media: Aslan couldn’t bear to leave Rose in his war-torn homeland, so together they walked 500km from Damascus, Syria, to Greek Island, Lesbosto, to flee the war.

The official video (here) which was being posted by the United Nations High Commissioners for Refugees (UNHCR) on 19 September has more than three million views and half a million likes to date. Aslan brought a small backpack with his own belongings, sufficient food and water for Rose, and a “furkid passport” he made especially for her. When asked why he brought Rose with him, he gave a simple answer that tugged at our heartstrings, “I love my dog!”

Zaytouna the cat and its owner

Another story that almost brought us to tears is the one of a Syrian man who brought almost no personal belongings, but chose to bring along Zaytouna, his kitten.  Like Aslan, this Syrian paw-rent, his family and Zaytouna travelled from Syria to Lesbos and will be continuing their journey into Europe.  The Twitter-sphere is amazed at the refugee’s devotion to Zaytouna, and their story (along with two photos) are trending. The first picture depicts tiny Zaytouna curled up in a homemade sling that the man made during his journey across the Mediterranean, while the second one shows the family stroking the kitty.

Chiquitica and the Twelve

A video of 12 Cuban refugees and their dog, Chiquitica, coming ashore on Miami Beach on a small, homemade boat has received over four thousand views on YouTube. Chiquitica—meaning “little one”—together with the 11 men and one woman, jumped off the boat as it approached the tourist-lined sands. They were at sea for six days after fleeing from the town of Caibarién, in hope of staying in the U.S. under the “wet-foot, dry-foot” policy. All twelve refugees appeared healthy and were welcomed with cheers from onlookers. The fact that the twelve did not abandon their dog and took him on board the small, rust-coloured boat proved their devotion to their fur friend.