The Italian Job:  Moving Pets to Italy

One of our Twitter friends, Erica Firpo (you can follow her @glittertip), mentioned today that she was writing an article about pet travel in Italy.  She had some great specifics on train travel with pets, which we get asked about quite frequently, especially from our EU customers.

We particularly thought her pet-friendly Italian phrases would be helpful to expats and other people not familiar with the native language:

• Guinzaglio: Leash.
• Muserola: Muzzle.
• Gabbietta: Carrier, small cage.
• Libretto:  Small booklet provided by your with vaccination stickers and signatures.

She also reminded readers about the current breed bans that are common in Italy and other European countries, like Germany and Switzerland.  It is always best for anyone planning on moving or traveling with pets to be sure they check with the local agriculture department or ministr, especially if they own a bred that is commonly considered "aggressive" like Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, Dobermans, etc.  Also, dogs with docked or cropped ears and tails are commonly restricted for people traveling through Switzerland (people moving to the country can be exempt from this restriction if they show proof of residency).