A stray dog who befriended a team of adventurers on an extreme sports race in Ecuador has finally been freed from quarantine to start his new life in Sweden.

Mikael Lindnord adopted stray Arthur after meeting him when his Team Peak Performance took on the 430-mile Adventure Racing World Championship last November.

Arthur's heartwarming story went around the world after he joined Lindnord and his three team-mates on their endurance race through South America.

And when they decided they couldn't leave him behind, they applied to the Swedish Board of Agriculture so that Arthur would be allowed to live with them in Sweden.

Now, after four months in quarantine, he was finally cleared to leave and joined a delighted Mikael and his new family to start his new life.

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Freedom: Arthur has now been released from quarantine to begin his new life with Mikael Lindnord and his family in Sweden

Recovering: Arthur stayed in quarantine until he was in good enough health to be allowed to leave by the Swedish Board of Agriculture

Family: Mikael's wife Helen gazes adoringly at Arthur. She said: 'He will be loved by our small family and all of our friends'

A delighted Mikael told MailOnline: 'He is really happy to be with us. When we came to pick him up he jumped around, gave us kisses on the mouth and lay down so we could scratch his stomach. He has been greeting everyone he has met during the day.

'We have been waiting for this day for so long and now he is here. Its a big day for our family and an even better day for Arthur. It is his first day as a free dog with a family who loves him.'

Mikael said that he feels similar to Arthur in many ways and added: 'He is a fighter like me who never gives up. I could really see that in the jungle when he just kept following us.

'It is insane when you think about it. He jumped in the water when he thought that we were leaving him and was in my canoe for 14 hours down the river.

'Like me, he has never had a free ride in life, I have struggled, he has struggled, that binds us together.'

Mikael, who collected Arthur with his wife Helena and daughter Filippa, revealed the family had found it difficult whilst waiting for the pup to be freed from quarantine.

He added: 'Of course it has been a struggle for us all. We visited him often at the place where he stayed and I had tears in my eyes every time I left and heard him bark for us to come back.

'But they kept him well, he has gained a few kilos and looks much more healthy now. This dog has been through enough in his life, now begins the fun part for him.'

And Mikael said Arthur revels in the attention that comes his way, adding: 'He is fantastic, really calm, almost noble in his way - that's why we named him Arthur, after the legend of King Arthur you know. I don´t think a human could have handled the attention so calmly.'

Helen said Arthur would be made to feel part of their family and added: 'He will be loved by our small family and all of our friends.

'We have made him a space with cushions where he can sleep, and have bought food, trays, loads of toys and everything else a dog might need.'

All delighted: An elated Arthur has now left quarantine to start his new life with the Lindnord family

Friends: Mikael Lindnord adopted Arthur after meeting him when his team took on the 430-mile Adventure Racing World Championship in Ecuador last November. Now he is healthy and recovered fully

When Mikael and his team first encountered the pup and felt sorry for him, they fed him a meatball and the animal started to follow them - and didn't stop.

As the group of four navigated the gruelling final two stages of the 430-mile Adventure Racing World Championship, the dog befriended them and was eventually given the name Arthur.

At the time, Lindord said: 'I came to Ecuador to win the World Championship. Instead, I got a new friend.'

Adventure Racing is a form of extreme sport that combines continuous hiking, trekking, mountain biking and kayaking over a successive number of days.

The world championships held in Ecuador covered three diverse geographical regions - the Andes, the Pacific and the Amazon rainforest.

He swam alongside them while they kayaked down rivers, dragged himself up hills during hikes and pulled through knee-deep mud during treks.

Even when the team tried to get rid of their new member out of concerns for his safety - he refused to leave.

The fifth member: Team Peak Performance met Arthur during the gruelling race and he refused to leave their side

All terrains: Despite numerous attempts by the team to get rid of Arthur, primarily for his own safety, he refused to go. It meant when he got stuck in the knee-deep mud they helped get him out and when he was exhausted, they stopped to take a break

Support: At one point the dog was not able to find any food in the jungle, so the team stopped and gave him some of their canned food

Loyal: Arthur became a loyal member of the team and refused to leave their side on their trek

Before one of the segments of the race - a 36 mile kayak around the coast - organisers warned the team that taking Arthur along posed a risk to his and their safety.

They tried to set off without him, but as they left he jumped into the water beside them and started desperately paddling.

Lindord, heartbroken by the site of Arthur struggling in the water, picked him up, put him in the kayak and let him stay for the rest of the journey.

Arthur was originally scheduled to leave quarantine on February 5 to undergo surgery, but the request was denied at the last minute because he still wasn't considered to be in good enough health by the Swedish Board of Agriculture.

The team agreed with the decision to keep Arthur in quarantine and also praised the quarantine's staff for doing an 'amazing job' with their new best friend.

Today, as the family welcomed Arthur to his new home, Lindnord said: 'He is really happy to be with us. This morning when we came to pick him up he jumped around, gave us kisses and lay down so we could scratch his stomach.

'We have been waiting for this day for so long and now he is here. Its a big day for our family and an even better day for Arthur, it is his first day as a free dog with a family who loves him.

'He will be loved by our small family and all of our friends. We have made him a space with cushions where he can sleep, and have bought food, trays, loads of toys and everything else a dog might need.'

Resting: When the team slept, devoted Arthur would also curl up and take a nap alongside them

Determined: Before one of the segments of the race - a 36 mile kayak around the coast - organizers warned the team that taking Arthur along posed a risk to his and their safety. But Arthur swam alongside the boat and ended up being pulled in by Lindord