An Aussie woman who moved to Bali and rescued a stray dog is now paying a huge $20,000 fee she never expected.

Madelynn Davey, 27, moved to Bali from The Sunshine Coast with her Spanish boyfriend who was building a home there.

One day, she found a dog scavenging for food on the side of the road and she quickly became smitten with the four-legged friend.

It’s common to see stray dogs, cats and even chickens roaming around freely in Bali, but she didn’t expect what was to come from that interaction.

“I couldn’t say no to her because she was just a little tiny puppy, living in the dirt and eating rubbish,” Madelynn told Yahoo Lifestyle.

“I picked her up, we took her home, and that’s why we probably stayed in Bali for as long as we did.”

Having now returned to Australia, more than a year later, the 27-year-old is facing one of the world’s toughest and most expensive pet relocation processes.

The stray dog, Sadie, that Ms Davey rescued. Photo: Instagram

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There are an estimated 700,000 stray dogs on the island, according to the non-profit Mission Pawsible, which helps rescue the animals.

During her time abroad, Ms Davey tried to help as many animals as possible, including feeding stray kittens and chickens.

She said the dog – that she named Sadie – has become part of the family, and she couldn’t imagine leaving her behind.

“I’m a big animal lover and Sadie is such a sweet dog. We love her so much,” she said.

“It’s important to me to like give her the life that she deserves, because she came from nothing.”

However Ms Davey soon learnt that the process to bring her home would be lengthy and expensive.

Ms Davey is now paying $20,000 to bring her to Australia. Photos: Instagram

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The process includes the pet needing to quarantine in Singapore for six months to ensure she doesn’t carry any diseases into Australia.

Once in Australia, Sadie will have to quarantine in Melbourne for up to 30 days.

At the moment, Ms Davey is back in Australia trying to save money as fast as possible to afford the process.

For now, Sadie is still in Indonesia, currently staying with a private trainer who’s looking after her.

“The price includes microchips, vaccines, parasite treatments, health checks, flights, and accommodation. There’s a lot,” Ms Davey said.

After sharing her story on TikTok, many were quick to comment that Sadie is “just a dog” and millions of others need homes.

But Madelynn couldn’t bear to part with her.

“Can’t you just get a new dog? It would be cheaper,” one wrote.

“Queen, 20k, are you crazy?” another said.

“$20k for a dog? You are out of your mind,” a third added.

Madelynn Davey is now trying to save $20,000 to bring the dog to Australia. Photo: Instagram

However, others rallied around her decision, some even contributed to the GoFundMe page, and others shared their own experiences of relocating pets.

“Abandoning a dog after you have rescued them? That’s not an option for people with good hearts,” one said.

“We brought our dog from US. It’s such a long and emotional journey. I wish you the best!” someone else wrote.

“We had to do this with both of our pups. It’s such a long expensive process. Thinking of you all,” another added.

“I’ll be the opposite when we eventually move to Bali, bringing my dogs from Australia. So expensive, but I can’t leave them behind,” someone else wrote.

When Sadie finally steps onto Australian soil, it won’t just mark the end of a long journey – it will prove that, sometimes, one stray dog can be worth every sacrifice.

“One of the best decisions I ever made was rescuing this little princess,” Ms Davey said.

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