AllExperts Question: Bringing a Dog Home from Greece?
Subject: Pet moving a dog home from Greece
Question: My son has been living in Athens, Greece for the last 2 years. He took in a stray dog over a year ago and now wants to bring it home to Memphis, TN with him. He checked with the pet travel cargo shipping companies at the Athens airport and was told it is over 1,000 Euros to ship the dog. Is there a less expensive way to get the dog to the US? I love my son and want him to be able to bring his 'best friend' home, but can't afford the price.
Answer: Hello Mary!
There are a couple of factors to take into consideration when considering the costs of transporting a dog internationally. First, and foremost, is the dog's size - is it small enough to travel in the cabin with someone (i.e. under the seat) or is it large enough that it will need to travel in the cargo area of the plane? The most cost-effective way to relocate your son's dog would be for your son to fly with him/her booked as excess baggage - regardless of the dog's size, this method is much cheaper for pets rather than traveling as cargo. When pets are booked as cargo they are considered "unaccompanied", and with this status, the airline's liability increases, resulting in a 200%-300% markup compared to pets flying as excess baggage. If your son's dog is over 50lbs, 1000 EUR is, unfortunately, not an atypical cargo price for a live animal.
If you have more questions about how to move your son's dog and keep the price as low as possible, our EU Specialist, Matt Johnson would be happy to help you figure something out. His email address is mathews[at]petrelocation[dot]com.