On the day the Russian army suddenly invaded Ukraine, numerous residents quickly evacuated their homes and moved to neighboring countries. Many families were forced to cross borders, leaving their brave men behind to fight the invaders.
Foreigners living in Ukraine were also among the first to flee the country, except for a few that had something holding them back. This was the case of an Indian student named Rishab Kaushik.
Some of his family members boarded the first flights they could get into. They urged Rishab to join them, but he refused. The Indian government wouldn’t allow his rescue dog, Malibu, entry into the country. So he decided to stay behind.
A good friend
Rishab is from Dehradun, India. He went to Ukraine to study at the Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics Engineering. During his time there, he met a homeless dog and adopted him.
The young man was already in his final year of studies when the invasion began. Rishab knew that staying in the country was unsafe, so he and his other family members packed their belongings and went to the airport. But when the student learned that his dog couldn’t go with him because of India’s restrictions, he didn’t get a ticket.
Despite his family’s urging, he stood fast on his decision. Malibu was his friend, and he would never leave him.
A desperate plea
Rishab went online and made a plea for help. He posted a video detailing his predicament. Eventually, the video was seen by PETA, an animal rights organization that was already helping a lot of creatures caught in the war.
They knew that a lot of animals were helpless in the destructive conflict happening in Ukraine. So they made a petition to the Indian government to lower their animal restrictions in the time of war.
The government heeded their plea and made a memorandum to allow entry to pets of returning residents in times of crisis. When Rishab learned that he could take Malibu with him, he cried in happiness and then quickly made travel arrangements. He and his dog went to Budapest first, then made a transfer to India. Both are now safe.
Source: Jammu Links News via Facebook
