We brought our cat with us when we moved back from Japan, for pete’s sake.
What scumbags.
We had to leave our dog in Thailand when I was transferred back to the USA. Couldn't bring her back on the airplane, and she'd have had to be quarantined anyway. We left her with our landlady, who cared for her for several years until she (the dog) died naturally. Really hated to leave her because she was a good dog and was attached to us, but we had no choice.
Some people think a pet is a thing to be disposed of at the first inconvenience.