This Sweet Street Dog Scrounged for Food & Shelter Just to Stay Alive—Until She Won the Hearts of Two Tourists.
A street dog once destined for a life of hardship has found her fairytale ending. Jalebi was born on the streets of Punjab, India, where a life of scrounging for food and shelter seemed to be her fate. Jalebi didn’t know that her life was about to completely change when two tourists from Australia met her and fell in love. (watch the TikTok below)
Arun and Alicia were in Punjab, India where a street dog arrived on their doorstep. She was sweet so they treated her with love and care. Jalebi began visiting them regularly looking for love and human affection and they also celebrated the Indian festival Diwali with her.
When it came time to return home to Australia, the couple knew leaving Jalebi to survive the harsh streets was out of the question. So, they decided to take her with them which would end up being a long and stressful but fulfilling process.
@its_jalebi_baby From being on the street to being a couch potato. This little girl has gone through a lot. From India to France, to NZ and finally to us in Melbourne(Australia). It’s been a long journey but we are glad Jalebi is finally here with us. Here to more adventures with Jalebi and thank you for all the love from everyone ❤️ . . . . . . . . #dog #doglover #dogsofinstagram #rescuedog #dogstagram #india #newzealand #australia #auckland #doglovers #dogoftheday #picoftheday #photooftheday #instagood #instagram #instadaily #france #melbourne #indie #indiedog #instagood #dogsoftiktok #dogs ♬ Little Things – Adrian Berenguer
Jalebi’s Preparation To Leave India
The pet parents documented the entire process of relocating Jalebi on social media (@its_jalebi_baby), sharing that the journey started five months before her travel date. The ‘Indie’ dog was microchipped and given a rabies vaccine.
Then, Jalebi underwent a rabies antibody titration blood test 21 days after the rabies vaccination. Her blood sample was sent to Europe for testing and this step needs to be done at least three months before the dog gets to leave India. In the meantime, Jalebi’s parents provided her with crate training in order to make her flight experience as comfortable as possible.
Jalebi could only enter Australia and New Zealand after she had spent at least 6 months in a rabies-free country. So, the couple took the help of a non-profit organization helping stray animals in India called Guardians of All Voiceless, who reached out to a lady in France named Patricia who agreed to take care of Jalebi for 6 months there.
Arun and Alicia left India in January 2023, but Jalebi still had six weeks to go before she could leave the country because of the 3-month rule after the rabies blood test. The couple said an emotional goodbye to the pet, leaving her under the care of Tail Magic, a pet boarding service.
Subsequently, PetFly took care of all the paperwork and preparation for Jalebi’s trip to France. They were with the dog until she safely boarded the Air France flight in her crate.
From France to New Zealand to Australia
In France, Jalebi stayed with Patricia, who already had experience in taking care of Indian street dogs. A pet travel company in France informed the couple of all the required tests and vaccinations needed for Jalebi to fly from France to Australia/New Zealand where she would stay in quarantine for some time.
Jalebi had to go to several vet visits in France and a lot of paperwork had to be prepared such as the import certificate. Everyone involved in this process underwent a lot of stress.
However, their problems didn’t end there. When the pet parents contacted the Australian quarantine facility, they found it was fully booked for 4-6 months. Since Patricia wouldn’t be able to care for Jalebi for such a long time, they decided to get the dog to New Zealand first.
In December 2023, Jalebi flew from Paris to Auckland, New Zealand, where she underwent a 10-day quarantine. After 10 long months apart, Arun traveled to Auckland to reunite with her at the end of that period.
Alicia also arrived in New Zealand to stay with Jalebi at her mother’s house. After their 6-month stay in the country, the dog finally flew to her parents’ home in Melbourne, Australia.
This culminated in an incredibly lengthy and arduous process of getting Jalebi to her happy ending 17 months after leaving India. Now, she celebrates birthdays, Christmas, and other holidays with her new family and has a life filled with happiness and comfort.
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