Paandiyeraj hugging and kissing his two Golden Retrievers, Nala and Simba. — Screenshot via TikTok/paandichelsea
PETALING JAYA, April 4 — Paandiyeraj Nadumaran had been away in Singapore for 486 days, working in the warehouse manufacturing industry.
Throughout this entire time, he had not seen his two dogs, Nala and Simba until he finally made it to Johor where they were living with a friend.
And the 29-year-old’s reunion with his pet Golden Retrievers has won over social media users.
The video, uploaded by Paandiyeraj on April 2, has been liked by over one million people with many feeling touched to see the reunion of the dogs and their master after over a year.
@paandichelsea Finally after 486 days .. I meet my babies Simba and Nala???#goldenretriever #lehlusimbanala #singaporelockdownparithapangal #doglover #simba #Nala ? original sound – ?Paandi Chelsea?
Speaking to Malay Mail, the 29-year-old who has been working in Singapore for eight years said that his childhood friend, who is based in Johor’s Masai, has been looking after his pets.
“The last time I returned to Johor was during the end of 2020 — where my dogs saw me after eight months.
“This time I managed to head to Johor after the Johor-Singapore borders had reopened to reunite with my dogs again.
“When I reached my friend’s home after parking my motorcycle and taking off my helmet, my dog Simba ran to me as he knew that it was me just from the sound of my motorcycle.
“At that point, I had not removed my facemask but Simba knew that it was from the tone of my voice and the sound of the motorcycle.”
Paandiyeraj added that his other Golden Retriever, Nala, was in the cage excitedly barking to greet him.
“After carrying Simba and after he calmed down, I took Nala out of the cage and hugged her.
“If she (Nala) was let loose too, I wouldn’t be able to handle two excited dogs at the same time.
“But I felt so happy to be reunited with my two babies after so long,” he said.
The Kedah-born man added that he became a dog lover because of his fiancee who loves animals including dogs and that made him be a dog lover too.
He said that both Simba and Nala were “his children” and he loved them very much.