Once again, it's time to announce the PetRelocation.com Pet Move of the Month! Our December star is Lucy, an adorable (and very photogenic) English Bulldog who moved from Washington, D.C. to Mexico City. She and her parents experienced the standard worries that go along with pet relocation, but thanks to diligent planning and careful preparation, Lucy was able to safely move to Mexico City! Lucy and her owners worked with our PetRelocation Specialist Mike Cardno on her travel arrangements.
"Any relocation can be a stressful time for pets and their owners," said Lucy's Specialist, Mike. "When you factor in additional concerns, like a snub-nosed breed of pet or a remote destination, that's often when our expertise is really allowed to shine. Choosing the right airlines, finding the best routing possible and knowing all of the documentation required to make a move a success is extremely important when you're working on these types of moves."
"Our Specialist, Mike, had all sorts of recommendations to make Lucy's travel easier given her breed," said Lucy's owner, David, after the move. Read more of what her owners had to say about their experience with PetRelocation.com and checking out the Q&A below with David on what life is like in Mexico with pets. For more adorable Lucy pictures, be sure to check her out on Twitter and Tumblr. That's right: this four-legged international traveler is also 35 pounds of social media savvy!
Why did you choose PetRelocation.com? Had you moved Lucy before?
Lucy had moved once before, but it was an across-town move, so the stress in that move was minimal. For the big international move we did a bunch of online research that kept turning up PetRelocation.com, so we decided to give it a try. We were glad we did.
What were some of your initial concerns about moving Lucy internationally?
We had several concerns, some of which were pretty normal, some of which in hindsight were overblown. Our biggest concern was that Lucy, being a snub-nosed dog, would have respiration problems while flying. We had the luxury of knowing that an international move was coming sooner or later, so we did our best to keep her in top shape. Our thought was that a fit bulldog would fare better than a pudgy one. Also, our Specialist had several recommendations to help her on the day of the move, and the agents in DC and Mexico City were great.
We had a few other concerns specific to Mexico City. It's over 7,000 feet above sea level, so we were concerned about her ability to adjust to the altitude and the thin air. We also were concerned that Lucy might develop Montezuma's revenge! So far, so good!
What was something that you learned about moving pets that you didn’t know before you started the process with us?
We were unaware of how complicated the pet importation requirements could be. Evidently it is relatively easy to bring a pet into Mexico compared to some other countries, but even still there were several medicines that Lucy had to take, and forms we had to fill out. Given that transporting Lucy to Mexico was only one component of our move, we were glad that our Specialist was able to make sure we had all of our boxes checked.
How has Lucy been since arriving in Mexico? How is her temperament and general health?
Lucy is great! She is the same sweet, happy girl as always, and is busy making new human and dog friends at the local dog park and in the neighborhood. So far there's been no change in her health.
How is life with pets in your new country in terms of services and amenities?
Mexicans are big dog lovers, so there are plenty of local vets, pet stores, and even doggy day care. We're still trying to figure out what Lucy's routine will be, but no doubt there will be plenty of resources for her. Fortunately we are very close to a dog park, and Lucy has already met five other English Bulldogs in our new neighborhood! The beautiful thing about dogs is that even if their humans don't speak the local language perfectly, dogs understand each other instinctively.
Thanks for sharing your story with us, Lucy! Buena Suerte and keep in touch!