The Epic Journey of Pipsqueak the Dachshund Reunited with Family

Zoe and Guy Eilbeck first met Pipsqueak the dachshund in Sicily, adopting her as their companion while they lived on a sailboat. She joined them on numerous adventures, traveling to seventeen countries in total while crossing the Atlantic. However, when COVID-19 hit, the family’s life changed drastically, forcing them to return to Australia and leaving Pip in the care of a friend in North Carolina. Fortunately, she has been reunited with her family after an extraordinary journey that took many months, with strangers stepping in to help along the way.

In March, Zoe, Guy, and their children, Cam and Max, had limited time to reach as Australia announced border closures. They docked their boat in the USA and returned, devastated that there was no time to arrange Pip’s passage. The local animal shelter was closed due to restrictions, complicating matters further, but a dog-loving local woman named Ellen Steinberg stepped in to provide a home for Pip while logistics were sorted out.

“Ellen gave Pip unconditional love for three months and taught her how to live in a house, which is not an easy feat for a sailing dog accustomed to very different conditions! Her kindness was incredible. Daily updates on Pip and assistance in preparing her for export to Australia were invaluable, especially as it became clear we could not return to the easily,” Zoe shared with iBestTravel.

Pip attended regular veterinary appointments to ensure she was fit for travel, undergoing paperwork, blood tests, and vaccinations. Zoe often rose at 4 AM to call the USA for updates. The next challenge was the actual travel. The plan was to fly Pip to , prompting the family to issue a plea on social media for anyone traveling from the East Coast to the West Coast. The post gained nearly 20,000 views, leading to multiple offers for assistance. Ultimately, a volunteer was found, and Pip happily made the trip to LA, enjoying a luxurious stay in a king-sized bed in a hotel overnight upon her arrival. Subsequently, she flew to Auckland before making her way to Australia, yet her dramatic journey was far from over.

Pipsqueak entered a standard ten-day quarantine, where vets and biosecurity staff monitored her to ensure she posed no health risk. However, the night before her expected flight to Sydney, Melbourne went into a hard lockdown. Consequently, the freight terminal shut down, rendering Pip’s flight impossible. At this crucial moment, Zoe’s brother Rob, who lives in Melbourne, stepped in to take Pip while they devised a new plan. “Flights were booked, cancelled, and rebooked throughout the week, and things were looking bleak. The border closure between New South Wales and Victoria meant we couldn’t even drive the 12 hours to collect her,” Zoe recounted.

Fortunately, national media coverage of Pip’s grand adventure caught the attention of the Sydney Morning Herald and Virgin Airlines, who came to the family’s aid. After another week, totaling 136 days, Pip finally reached Sydney and was joyfully reunited with the Eilbecks.

“Our greatest learning throughout this experience has also been the most joyous – the kindness of strangers is alive and well in the world today. We could not have brought our puppy back without the help of countless people, all motivated by their love for dogs. They wanted to help us get our smallest crew member home,” Zoe expressed with gratitude to iBestTravel.