Last Christmas, Sophie Hobbs's dog, Ebba, made it to Tasmania for their family holiday – but none of her human companions did.
They'd all been planning to fly from Sydney to Launceston to stay with Sophie's parents for the break until Virgin Australia closed its pet cargo office due to COVID-19. This meant the dog was put on an alternative Virgin flight to Hobart two days before the family was due to fly out, so Sophie's parents had to drive south to pick her up.
But then came the sudden Sydney lockdown which stopped Sophie and her family from flying.
"So my parents had to look after her while we weren't able to leave Sydney," said gallery owner Sophie, who lives in Erskineville, in Sydney's inner west, with husband Ralph, daughter India, 19, and son Hugo, 17. "Then eventually they took her back to Hobart