Pet Relocation Experiences

Name: Belinda
Pet's Name: Bronte
From: Colorado Springs, CO
To: Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
 

When you move to Saudi Arabia from Colorado, everyone assumes you'll be putting your furry friends on Craigslist, but I knew when I took a new job overseas that I would be bringing Emily Bronte, my Siamese/Himalayan rescue cat, to the desert with me. What I didn't know was how.

I read tons of accounts on the internet about how people manage (successfully and not so successfully) to bring cats on planes with them for transatlantic flights. At the beginning, this was my plan, but I soon realized that getting my cat on the plane and keeping her from meowing for hours was the least of my worries. There were health certificates, import permits, international offices with phones that aren't monitored, and conflicting information coming from all directions about how, exactly, one gets an American cat into Saudi Arabia.

Needless to say, I also had a few other things to do--such as tying up the loose ends of my entire life, packing, and saying goodbye to friends, family, coworkers, and over 20 years of memories. I had neither the time nor the experience necessary to handle Bronte's move on my own.

Initially, I hired a local pet relocation company that quoted me a remarkably low fee and quickly proved that, at least in this case, I stood to get exactly what I paid for. These people had no idea what they were doing, and I was NOT going to leave them in charge of my 8-pound kitty in the hopes that they could get her successfully to her new home. After just one week of "planning" the trip with this company, I fired them.

That's when I found PetRelocation.com. Jon Bartosh was my first point of contact, but Abbey Seidensticker was my (and Bronte's) main guardian angel throughout the process. Even though Abbey is based in Texas, the company's network of pet relocation agents is so extensive that I knew I was leaving Bronte in good hands. This was not their first import to Saudi Arabia, and the experience and confidence that Jon and Abbey offered absolutely made the choice for me.

I left the country about a month before Bronte, and from there Abbey took care of absolutely all of the details. She coordinated with my vet, where Bronte was boarding, made arrangements with the CO USDA, made sure the Saudi Import permit was issued properly through the Department of Agriculture in KSA, and did a lot of general hand-holding for me--because I was really anxious about the whole process. When it was time to travel, Abbey arranged transportation to the airport, and food, water, and monitoring during the trip. She also did an amazing job of making sure I knew how to track Bronte's travel and verify her safe arrival at each destination. I even received a photo of Bronte just before she left the Denver airport.

Just this Thursday, Bronte arrived in Saudi Arabia. She had a direct flight from Denver to Frankfurt where she spend the night in the Lufthansa pet facility at the airport and was able to stretch, eat, use the litter box--all the things cats need to do. It was so nice to know that she was getting a break between two rather long flights. The second travel day brought her straight into Jeddah where I met her at the airport. We're now happily reunited in our new home!

I should note that PetRelocation.com does offer a door-to-door service, so I could have foregone the trip to the airport altogether, but I opted to do this bit myself, with the help of another agent who we worked with here in Saudi Arabia.

I couldn't possibly be more satisfied with PetRelocation.com. At a very stressful time in my life, they helped to manage what could have been the most stressful part of all. I will certainly use their services again when Bronte and I return to the US someday.

Name: Dale
Pets' Names: Chief and Sheera
From: Wildwood, Florida
To: Alice Springs, Australia

When my husband was offered a job in Alice Springs, Australia, the only stipulation I had was "the dogs HAVE to come with us!" I started doing some research and my heart sank when I realized that the amount of work it was going to take to get these dogs moved just might break me.

I was still working a full time job and going to grad school on top of organizing a huge move overseas, so I started to feel like this move for my pups, Chief and Sheera, was not going to happen. I then started looking around for someone to help me. That is when I read an article in the New York Times talking about this company, PetRelocation.com. From the moment I sent my initial email asking for information to the moment my dogs arrived safely in Alice Springs, PetRelocation.com has been my sanity.

Moving overseas is not easy for humans, and it is especially not easy for pets. My agents, first Scotty then Elaine, helped me crate train my "hillbilly" dogs to prepare them for their long flight. They walked me through all of my vet visits (and there were many!) and were always available during the visits if the vet had any questions or concerns.

Chief and Sheera were picked up from my home and taken care of their entire trip to quarantine in Australia. Elaine was available to me during the entire trip to let me know when my pups made it from one flight to another, or to tell me that they were enjoying a walk during a layover. Everything was taken care of, and all I ever had to worry about was missing my dogs or when I was going to see them again!

I could never have done this without their help, and when my time in Australia is done I will be utilizing their services once again! Thank you Elaine and PetRelocation! My dogs just arrived safely to Alice Springs after 30 days of quarantine and look better then the day they left my house in Florida!

Name: Helene
Pet's Name: Kendra
From: Nottingham
To: Shanghai

Our girl Kendra, seen here recovering from her journey from Nottingham to Shanghai, has arrived without a problem as planned last week.

PetRelocation.com has provided a seamless, impeccable service. Thanks to Scotty, Sandra and load of others along the way.

Name: Diana
Pet's Name: Minnie
From: Vicchio, (Firenze) Italy
To: Scottsdale, AZ
 

We are very connected to our Pomeranian Minnie who had to travel a long way back to the U.S. It was so great to have PetRelocation.com to take care of her during a stressful time for our family!!!

We knew she was well taken care of door to door. Their correspondence was exemplary and always cheerful too. I would never move her any other way.

Name: Lauren and Cassie
Pet's Name: Midnight
From: San Diego, CA
To: Fredericksburg, VA
 

PetRelocation.com was amazing! It was our first time flying our dog Midnight across the country, and we were very nervous, especially because she is 10 years old.

PetRelocation.com took great care of us and our dog! The experience was also extremely convenient. We didn't have to worry about not having the right forms or not having the right stuff to fly Midnight. They put an entire checklist together for us, which made it very easy. They also coordinated with our vet to confirm that everything was good to go!

Midnight arrived safe and sound in Virginia and seemed her normal, happy, loving, calm self upon arrival! We are so thankful to PetRelocation.com for such a great first experience with flying our pet!

Name: Tammi
Pets' Names: Sasha and Zoe
From: Wilmington, NC
To: Geneva, Switzerland
 

Thanks to PetRelocation.com, Sasha and Zoe arrived safely to us in Geneva.

Despite a few changes in the plan, they were well taken care of by the PetRelocation.com team and we were kept in the loop along the way. They have been busy getting to know their new home and have settled in right away.

Name: Aimee
Pet's Name: Mrs. Frank Pickles
From: Dallas, Texas
To: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
 

When we chose to move to the Middle East, our first thought was how our little one, Frank, would handle it. Once we investigated the process, the logistics were overwhelming. But Rebecca at PetRelocation.com stepped in, walking us through each piece, finding the right vets to talk to about the import/export process, and keeping us constantly informed.

When we had to leave Dallas before Frank did, Rebecca virtually held my mother's hand through the last few steps before Frank was put on a plane for her exciting international trip. Frank arrived safe, happy, and healthy, and we could not have done it without the help of PetRelocation.com.

 

Congratulations to Marshmallow for being named our Pet Move of the Month! This Dalmatian mix traveled from Maryland to the UK when her owners were called overseas, and we were happy to help them navigate the process during the hectic time that military families must so often face.

This was the family's first pet move and they had all the typical concerns (safety, paperwork, costs), but in the end everything turned out well and Marshmallow is enjoying life in the UK with all her favorite people. Her owner Tarnna, was kind enough to share the full story with us below. Read on to find out more about Marshmallow's military move!

What were some of your concerns going into the move?

We didn't want to put Marshmallow through the stress of a long flight only to arrive and have to be quarantined, that would have been devastating for her and our family.

Another big concern for me was how much is was going to cost. Moving internationally is not cheap, even if the military pays for some of it, so adding in this cost was a worry.

Did anything surprise you about the pet moving process?

I was shocked by the price to move a pet. Not just with this company, but every company I contacted and even trying to do it on my own. It is not an inexpensive thing to do and it made me change my thought process about military members who move around.

Most of the time military families will just give up their pets when they PCS, and I could never understand why until now. Luckily for us we had saved for emergencies and this seemed like a good time to use it.

Another thing that surprised me was how dismissive of my concerns some companies were -- luckily not this one -- but many that I contacted were and even the airlines directly. Getting these types of responses from other places is another reason I went with PetRelocation.com, everyone seemed genuine and like they actually cared that our animal got to us safe and sound.

How is Marshmallow adjusting to her new home?

Marshmallow loves our new home, just like we do! When she first arrived she was a bit scared and confused but she quickly settled in. The only thing that has changed is she has a bigger back yard to run around in, which keeps her happy. She has actually lost some weight from all the extra playtime she is getting. She was always a pretty laid back, good dog and nothing has seemed to change that.

How is life in the UK? Is it a dog-friendly place to be?

The UK seems to be a pretty dog-friendly place to be. We haven't searched out any dog parks yet, but we have taken her hiking, where she was loved on by everyone that passed us. Other than that we have only been here a little over a month so there aren't too many stories.

What advice do you have for people who might be planning a move?

To other people who are moving I would say that they need to understand that if they want their pet to arrive in good condition it will cost them, but in the end it is so worth it. I would also say to people to go with their gut feeling about a company who is moving their pet; if you get a not-so-good feeling there is probably a reason. They are your pet and they are a part of your family and they deserve to be as comfortable through the moving process as you do!

Anything else you'd care to share?

At first I was put off by the cost, but after dealing with other companies and the airlines I realized that I could not do this on my own and saw that PetRelocation.com was actually the best company to go with. Like I said earlier, everyone I dealt with from my first call to the gentlemen who brought her to our home in England seemed like they really cared about her and animals in general, and they didn't put my concerns on the back burner. There are good people working for this company!

Once I decided to hire Pet Relocation.com it was like a huge stress filled ball was lifted off me. I had enough stress just trying to get me, my daughters and my house ready all while worrying about my husband, who was still gone. I felt defeated for awhile in the process and was feeling I could not get her here, but once I hired this company I knew it would be okay.

That may sound dramatic but this was the most stressful move I have had during my husband's military career, and we have moved a lot. Nothing was working out and everything seemed to be happening to hinder our move, so when the things with the dog worked out it brought some much needed sunshine. I enjoyed all the people who helped us through the process, everyone had their part, and they did it well. We are planning on using PetRelocation.com for our next move and I have referred my sister and brother-in-law to PetRelocation.com to move their dogs during their next move. They are also in the military and coming to the UK in November. 

Hopefully I didn't get too mushy, but we are very grateful for everything this company has done. We really feel like everyone went above and beyond and worked with us and their team to get us our dog!

Name: Michael Nelson
Pets' Names: Hunter and Lulu
From: New Jersey, USA
To: London, UK
 

PetRelocation.com offered a worry-free service, and with all the hassle of moving a family internationally it was well received. They were very friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable about what it takes to move our family dog and cat around the world.

Hunter and Lulu were picked up one morning in New Jersey and arrived the next afternoon in London at our new doorstep. There were no customs or quarantine issues as they took care of all the paperwork.

The pets arrived safely and a little jet lagged, and for that we appreciate and recommend their services.

The Nelson Family
 

Name: Kathy
Pets' Names: Dolce' and Mollie
From: Rhode Island
To: California
 

Our family (pets included of course) was being relocated from Rhode Island to Southern California, a 3,000 mile trip to take place at the end of Aug. 2011. After checking several animal-friendly airlines (most of which only accept smaller animals that can be in the cabin under a seat.), we decided to fly Continental.

The animals had to be dropped off at a special holding area, and from there they are driven in a van to the plane. We were able to watch them being loaded into the air-regulated cargo area and a stewardess assured us they were on board. At the end of the flight our transportation was delayed. The people at the animal section made a call to our cell phone to let us know the animals arrived safely and were waiting to be picked up. After all the worry of having to have the animals on such a long flight, we picked up Dolce' and Mollie at the animal pick-up area.

They were well cared for throughout the whole process. We made it a point to put tags on their crates indicating live animals inside, along with their names on the crates in several places so that the handlers could call them by name. A big shout out for PetRelocation.com for getting our family from one side of the U.S. to the other!

Name: Jeanette
Pets' Names: Edgar and Isabell
From: San Francisco, CA
To: Waltham, MA

PetRelocation.com helped me out with a sad situation. My friend Lilly was diagnosed with terminal cancer a month ago. Her two favorite beings in the world were her cats, Edgar and Isabell. When I found out from Lilly her prognosis, I offered to take them.

PetRelocation made all the arrangements to pick them up from the Pet Hospital they were staying in, their airplane "tickets", and delivery to my home by a very nice agent late last Friday night. I was happy to tell Lilly on Saturday that her "babies" had arrived safely.

Her mind at rest, Lilly passed away Monday, 22 April. The cats seem to be settling in well, and are a constant reminder of a very dear friend. Thank you PetRelocation for helping me out and making this situation a little easier!

Name: Bjorn
Pets' Names: Bob and Monkey
From: New York
To: England
 

From the first contact made with Matt Kincaid, I knew I was in good hands. Having a very busy schedule, Matt was able to answer all my questions, follow up diligently, and act quickly when I needed it.

We moved our cats within three weeks of pushing the button with Matt, and from there Scotty took over. Scotty really took the time to make sure everything was planned out and kept us calm -- I think we were worse than the cats.

The New York agent (and I apologise I forget her name) who collected the cats really was awesome and very professional. She gave me great confidence as soon as I met her and you could see her knowledge of the customs jungle at JFK was superior from the moment she started to speak about the double handmade crate we had made for the journey.

Our cats arrived safely back in the UK. We opted for a complete door-to-door pick-up -- the best decision we have made. Great company, great team, well done all!

-Bjorn

Name: Jennifer
Pets' Names: Sascha and Nicole
From: Houston
To: Perth, Australia

When my husband got notice his job was moving us to Australia, I was both excited and worried. I wasn't sure how our girls, Sascha and Nicole, would make the move. I didn't even know where to start!

I had a friend recommend PetRelocation.com, and after a brief introduction, they got to work on our case right away. Scotty and Ashley helped us through every step of the process to make sure our girls had a smooth transition. It was good to know that while we were trying to get ourselves moved, the girls were in good hands for their move. On the travel day, the gentleman that came to pick them up, Roman, was very professional and gentle. It was comforting to see them being well taken care of, and we got updates on every leg of their journey.

We just visited the girls in quarantine and they look well. We can't wait to bring them home in two weeks! Thank you again to all the folks that helped us get our girls here safely!

Name: Jimmy
Pet's Name: Tori
From: Florida
To: California
 

I own a tea-cup Yorkshire Terrier. I wanted to have him transported from Florida for my girlfriend who is the true owner.

We were both concerned about the move, as it was our first experience transporting a pet across the country.

However, from the moment that we sought out PetRelocation.com, the representative on the phone (Lee) was extremely professional and caring. Moreover, the person that he delegated responsibility to (Amber) was also very professional and kind. Both Amber and Lee took all of our concerns into account. Finally, Lin and Lisa, the agents who brought Tori, our dog, to the airport and to our home, were very caring, kind and diligent.

What both I and my girlfriend took away from this experience was that PetRelocation.com has employees that love their job and take a vested interest in seeing that their clients are satisfied and that their pets are safely transported.

This was the first and most memorable experience for us.

While there are many contingencies that come into play -- some outside human control -- I would highly recommend that PetRelocation.com be given the opportunity to carry out this responsibility.

Sincerely,
Jimmy and M.Y.

Name: Rebecca
Pet's Name: Duke
From: Miami
To: England
 

I found PetRelocation.com online and read some of the stories, which made it easy to choose them. They helped me in every way, as I was in England already and Duke, my 3-year-old Maltese, was staying with my mother-in-law.

They told me what I needed and how to get it. The best part was that I knew Duke was safe and happy at all times during his trip. Duke is home and he loves his big garden and seeing all his family. I am so happy with PetRelocation.com. If ever we move I will be using them again.

Name: Mari
Pet's Name: Lollypop & Bolly Bolly
From: Florida
To: California

I found PetRelocation.com online. I was really worried about the move, but your wonderful employee Joe Fraser was so helpful and explained the whole process to me, that I felt this was the only and best way to get my girls to California.

Joe is the best!!! I felt like I found a new friend!!! You really have the greatest guy!!!

 

Name: Lindsay and Jamie
Pet's Name: Venzy
From: California
To: Maui, Hawaii
 

My husband and I decided we were going to move to Maui about a year ago. We were concerned about our kitty having to go through a long quarantine. A friend of mine told me about PetRelocation.com. A mutual friend of ours had used them and had a very successful experience moving animals from far across the globe...

At any rate, I got in touch with Abbey - an absolute champ who walked me through (and held my hand!) :) every step of the process.

Venzy was a little nervous when we picked her up but when she saw her new home, she was thrilled. We can't thank PetRelocation.com enough for all the help, support, time and effort they put into ensuring we and our whole family could experience this big move together!

Thank you/Mahalo!
Lindsay, Jamie and Venzy

Nice View!

Name: Meaghin
Pet's Name: Kate
From: Brooklyn, NY
To: Portland, OR
 

We moved across the country, driving halfway. We wanted to settle into our new home before bringing our cat, Kate, out. In the interim, she stayed with my parents in Virginia.

PetRelocation.com made that extra detail of picking Kate up from Virginia, not Brooklyn, completely painless. I was able to contact our specialist, Marissa, when we were ready for Kate to come up, and the turn-around time from my heads up that we were ready for Kate's arrival was under two weeks. Kate arrived screaming (it's her nature!) but thrilled to see us.

Thanks again :)

Name: Pauline
Pet's Name: Stella
From: Los Angeles
To: London
 

I did a lot of research with all types of animal transport companies before choosing PetRelocation.com, and at first I was nervous, as we didn't know what to expect, but we are SO glad that we chose PetRelocation.com and are very impressed and happy with their services.

We chose PetRelocation.com because of their experience with handling long distance pet transporting. We were won over by specialist Sarah Rosales' detailed descriptions of what our dog, Stella, would be going through during the long flight as well as the hours before and after.

Specialist Abbey Steidensticker was also amazingly helpful and patiently answered all of our questions and addressed our concerns with a warm and timely professionalism. With her help, we did not have to worry much about anything! She prepared all documents, contacted the two vets we had for Stella, and arranged all correspondence between agents.

And the absolute best part about PetRelocation.com is their pick-up and drop-off services - we only had to crate train Stella, and on the day of her flight she was simply handed over to an experienced agent. The timing was perfect! - I flew out of Los Angeles two hours after her flight, and arrived home in London to wait for her to clear Customs. Abbey kept us very well informed about Stella's status, from the moment she checked into her flight, to when she landed, cleared Customs, and when she was on her way over to us!

Just an hour or two after I arrived, she was delivered to our door by a friendly London transport agent, which Abbey had coordinated as well. When we saw her, we were so thrilled to be reunited again!

Stella is adjusting nicely to London (although the weather here leaves something to be desired), and she is enjoying long walks in the park near our home and finally spending some quality time with both her "mom" and "dad".

Thanks so much to PetRelocation.com for an amazing job! :)

The prospect of moving can be both exciting and overwhelming -- that's according to Stacy, the owner of our featured Pet Move of the Month. That seems to be how most of our customers feel about pet moves, which is why PetRelocation.com is happy to step in and help move treasured dogs like Neely when the family is called overseas (it was for military reasons in this case).

Military moves can be especially daunting, but Neely made the trip just fine and is doing well in her new place. Read on to find out the whole story (you can also check our blog for even more info about this pet move). Congrats, Neely! We're so glad we could help you in your journey across the pond!

Is this the first time you’ve ever moved a pet?
Yes it was.

What were some of your concerns going into the move?
The two major concerns that I had when it came to Neely’s move were her safety and the possibility of her needing to be quarantined.

Why did you decide to use PetRelocation.com to help out with your move?
I decided to hire your services because it took the work out of trying to figure everything out. Also, after reading all the great testimonials I knew Neely would be in great hands and would arrive home safely.

Did anything surprise you about the international pet moving process?
It wasn't that I found anything surprising, but I would say that some of the steps that were required in order for Neely to travel were a bit confusing at times. We were traveling to the UK during a time where a majority of the rules were changing rather quickly, thus making it difficult to keep up. That is why I am SO glad that we had the people at PetRelocation.com there to help us. With all the things that you have to remember to do in order to prepare for moving, it was a relief to know that I didn’t have to worry about keeping track of all the rule changes and requirements for Neely's travels.

How is Neely adjusting to the new location?
Neely is loving England! On her first day here she just slept the day away in an attempt to recover from doggy jet lag. It has taken her about a week or so to settle in and adapt to all the new sights and smells, but now its like she’s been here forever!

What is life like in the UK? Is it a pet-friendly place to be?
The town where we are living at in the UK is in the Lakes District and is very pet friendly. Many of the dogs here are very socialized and are often off leash. Some of the pubs and stores even allow pets in, just as long as they are well behaved. There are plenty of footpaths where we can go on walks and there is a very nice park in our area as well. On weekends we often go out for long hikes, which Neely loves!

When we first arrived here I had set up a vet appointment for Neely to make sure that there were no other vaccines that she needed, especially because there is so much livestock around where we are. I also wanted to make sure that her current heartworm prevention and flea and tick treatments were appropriate for the region. The vet we took her to was extremely helpful and thorough. We had copies of Neely’s vaccination records from the states which definitely helped the vet figure out what she had already been vaccinated for and what she needed boosters for in the future.

There are plenty of small locally owned pet shops in our town as well as some chain pet stores in some of the larger towns (which are not that far away) for pet food, toys, etc. One thing I would advise pet owners to do before moving is to make sure that the local pet stores carry the brand of food that your pet is currently eating. When we came over here we found out that the brand of dog food that Neely was currently eating was not supplied here at the local or chain pet stores. As a result, we had to switch her food over to something else, which was kind of a pain because Neely is a fussy eater. The only un-pet friendly thing we found about the UK was trying to find a rental property that allowed pets.

What advice do you have for people who might be planning a move?
The advice that I would give for anyone who might be planning a move is to prepare as far in advanced as possible, educated yourself on the process, and ask TONS of questions. This will greatly help in reducing the amount of stress that is involved with moving because you won’t find yourself running around trying to do things at the last minute. Also, make sure you have copies of your pet’s full vaccination record as well as any records in regards to illnesses or procedures that he or she may have had.

And just out of curiosity, where does the name “Neely” come from?
Neely was a rescue dog that my mom had found for me through Petfinder.com. When I had adopted her that was the name that she had came with. I was thinking about changing it when I brought her home, but she already new her name at that point. However, she does have a nickname of “Bean” that I call her very frequently. She earned that nickname because she was only a tiny eight pound pup when I got her.