‘CAN’T BELIEVE I HAVE GOT HER BACK’: DACHSHUND PIP REUNITED WITH FAMILY IN SYDNEY

On a wing and a prayer, Pip the dachshund – stranded in the United States for five months – finally arrived home in Sydney on Tuesday night.

In emotional scenes at a chilly Virgin freight depot in Mascot, the VIP (very important pet) was led out by a crew member to waiting owners, the Eilbeck family from Scotland Island in Pittwater on Sydney’s northern beaches.

There was just a moment of uncertainty. Then Pip suddenly realised who it was. She was swept up into Guy Eilbeck’s arms as his wife Zoe wiped back tears of joy. The boys, Cam, 13, and Max, 8, got a cuddle and everyone was licked on the face as the miniature sausage dog gorged on a hot dog.

Mrs Eilbeck said, “Oh Pippy darling, hello. She’s so tiny. I forgot how little she was. I can’t believe I have actually got her back.”

Max said, “It’s great to have her home. She’s so cute and she’s so warm.”

The Herald reported on Sunday how Pip was stranded in North Carolina in March. The family were on a “sea change” around-the-world sailing expedition but had to abandon their yacht and the voyage due to tightening COVID-19 restrictions.

As they flew home, Mrs Eilbeck put out an appeal to dog lovers on social media to look after two-year-old Pip and a series of carers volunteered to help. Those carers in the US were up at 4am local time waiting for the latest news of Pip’s Sydney touchdown.

The family arrived home at the end of March and went into hotel isolation and Mrs Eilbeck began what seemed like a military operation to get the necessary paperwork to arrange for Pip’s return.

After being looked after by three different carers, Pip flew from LA and, on July 23, arrived in Auckland where she went into quarantine overnight before flying to Melbourne where she spent a further 10 days in quarantine.

She was scheduled to fly home to Sydney on August 3 but with the borders closed between Victoria and NSW the freight flight was cancelled.

Pip then went to stay at the home of Mrs Eilbeck’s brother in West Brunswick. Subsequent flights last Saturday and on Monday were also cancelled.

Virgin then stepped in and said it could get Pip on a flight arriving in Sydney early Tuesday evening.

Virgin Australia Group general manager cargo, Glen Moloney said: “We’re thrilled to have played a part in reuniting Pip with her family after many months and thousands of kilometres apart.

“We fly almost 30,000 pets around Australia each year and there’s nothing quite like bringing home our furry friends. During these difficult times it’s nice to be able to put a smile on someone’s face and I know it was a real joy for our team to come to the rescue.”

The Eilbeck family sold their Frenchs Forest home in 2016, flew to Greece and bought a 40-foot yacht in Croatia for a literal sea change. They later welcomed Pip, then a puppy, aboard when they were moored in Messina in Sicily in 2018.

In December that year, they crossed the Atlantic from the Canary Islands to Barbados, then sailed along the east coast of the US. They were tied up in Key West in March planning a Pacific crossing back home when COVID-19 disrupted their plans.

They have this week put the yacht up for sale but plan to repeat the voyage.