How to Make a Corporate Pet Relocation Easier

Retirement, change of scenery, a military permanent change of station -- there are a lot of reasons people move around the world with their pets. One of the most common reasons people move with their pets to a new city or country is because they're moving for work.

Generally speaking, if corporate transferees are moving with pets, their pets are their top priority during the move. Since moving a pet isn't like moving a car or a couch, emotions can often run high when it comes to corporate pet relocations. In honor of the SHRM convention happening this weekend in Las Vegas (if you're an attendee, be sure to stop by booth #930 and say hi!), we decided to put together some simple steps you can take to make a corporate pet relocation easier:

1. Start as early as possible.
If there's even a remote chance that you might be moving with your pet overseas at some point, particularly to an island country, it isn't a bad idea to start now on all of the necessary vaccinations and blood tests. For example, the UK requires a six month quarantine for all pets being imported from the US. One way to avoid having to undergo this quarantine is to issue the necessary microchip, rabies shot and blood test at least six months in advance here in the States and then wait six months prior to moving the pet to the UK. Upon arrival, your pet will be cleared immediately and can go home with you on the same day.

2. Talk to your employer about pet relocation benefits.
Many of the stresses that come from moving a pet internationally surround the oftentimes high costs surrounding international pet transport. Between the vet appointments and the pet airline tickets and the customs clearance fees, the costs can quickly add up which can mean added stress on your pocketbook. We often hear from corporate transferees that they don't care whether or not their company pays to ship their couch to their new home, but they definitely want to make sure they get to take their dog with them. Talk with your HR department about whether your company offers pet relocation benefits. PetRelocation.com offers group discounts and preferred pricing to many companies -- you may find out your company has a discount negotiated with a pet relocation service like ours. If they don't, consider asking your HR manager "Why not?" According to an Atlas Van Lines survey, nearly a third of companies now cover pet relocation expenses. If your company is considering offering this valuable benefit, we've put together a list of PetRelocation.com serivces [PDF] that your company can take advantage of.

3. Keep things in perspective.
With all of the myths and confusion out there surrounding pet flights and international pet shipping, it's easy to get quickly concerned about your pet's safety and well-being when facing a big move. Keep in mind that we move pets worldwide all the time (you might enjoy reading through some of our customers' stories about their own experiences). Knowing that others have made the same move before you can help ease your mind about your own pet's travel, and can help take some of the worry away.

Let us know: Have you moved for work recently? Let us know in the comments below how you manged to keep yourself sane during a corporate pet relocation.

Charlie, the dog pictured above, is the author's Golden Retriever. He often offers free pet relocation consultations, in between his frequent naps.