ATHENS, Greece — In a heartwarming operation, several dogs and cats were safely transported to Athens on Wednesday alongside their owners. This unique evacuation flight was organized for Greek citizens and their pets stranded due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

At the Athens airport, touching reunions unfolded as small dogs bounded with joy after being released from their travel carriers.

This special flight, arranged by the government and operated by Aegean Airlines from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, transported 45 pets and 101 passengers.

“Our pets are not just luggage; they are cherished family members,” emphasized Nikos Chrysakis, the Greek Interior Ministry’s Special Secretary for the Protection of Companion Animals.

Chrysakis highlighted the collaboration between the interior and foreign ministries, stating they had worked tirelessly to ensure the safe return of both people and their beloved animals.

The conflict involving Israeli and U.S. forces in Iran has significantly disrupted airline operations throughout the Middle East.

Countries have been forced to repeatedly shut their airspace and cancel thousands of flights in major airline hubs such as Dubai and Qatar as missiles flew overhead.

Hundreds of thousands of travelers found themselves stranded.

For Danai Koukoulomati, finding a flight that would also take her cat Muay Thai was non-negotiable.

“To me, my pet, my cat, is my family. There is no chance I’m going to leave him behind,” she said. But she couldn’t find any flight accepting animals in the cabin or in the cargo hold. “It is very, very difficult to fly out of the country with your pets.”

As for dealing with the war, Muay Thai was far more stoic than she was herself. When explosions sounded, “he would hide in the bathroom, and that would be all. He was a calm cat,” Koukoulomati said. “I was not as calm as my cat. I need to take some lessons from him.”

Alexandra Papayanis, who has been living in Dubai for five years, arrived with her dog Sirtaki – named after a Greek dance – and a second dog she brought out for a friend.

She, too, said she had struggled to find an evacuation flight that would take animals.

“It’s so important. I mean, our pets are part of our family,” she said. “And in these very difficult circumstances, the challenges we are facing is how to bring our dogs and our cats back.” Returning to Greece with Sirtaki “was absolutely fantastic,” she said.

For another passenger, Maria Theochari, leaving Dubai without her dog Matisse was unthinkable. “Like my kids, I have Matisse,” she said. “This is important for me. I don’t separate my animal or my kids, it’s the same for me.”