Arya Aldrin (20), a medical student from Kerala who has received national attention for her efforts to bring her pet dog back from war-torn Ukraine, landed at the Delhi airport on Thursday. Despite the fact that she had been given the opportunity to leave the war-torn country before, she refused to leave without her pet dog, a Siberian Husky.

“I was firm that if I go back to my country Zaira will accompany me. I really worked hard and was forced to undergo questioning at several points. Some people laughed at me. At one stretch, I had to walk 20 km so I was forced to dump my cloth bags to carry Zaira. I am relieved Zaira is with me,” the second-year MBBS student from Idukki said. She will be taking a connecting flight to Kochi later in the evening. She said she had to work for two days to prepare the documents for her pet.

“Six months-old, the pet dog is not used to long walks. She cooperated with me fully. At one point she was tired as blisters appeared on her pugs so I dumped my bags to carry her,” Arya said in Delhi. She said she has some relatives in Munnar, where she will stay with Zaira for a few days to acclimatize the pet to the change in weather.

Many people took to social media to express their respect for the young girl and her dedication to her pet. V Sivankutty, the Kerala Education Minister, was among those who praised her work. "It is born out of love, and I am confident that the world will benefit from such love," the minister wrote in a Facebook post, praising her for her efforts.