Traveling with dogs

I beleive pets must be quarantined. I know they are when you return to the US.

Aly, check the DEFRA website. It has all the information you need to take your dog with you to Europe. Quarantine is no longer needed if your dog fulfills certain requirements. And, s/he can have his/her own passport! How cute is that?

I have not taken my dog to Europe, but will SERIOUSLY consider it when I go. Europeans love animals, especially dogs. In France, Switzerland and Italy (probably many other places in Europe, too) dogs are welcome in many places where they would be forbidden in the U.S.

Also, there is a girl on this site who made several posts about taking her dog to Austria. I think she brought him to Europe twice. Her dog behaved well (better than at home, if I remember correctly) and they both had a wonderful time. Maybe her dachshund knew that vacation was a privilege for him, so he behaved accordingly. She posted either under Solo Travelers or Women Travelers.

Good Luck,

Jo

The previous poster is right. Your pet will be quarantined in the country in which you arrive x 30 days and you must pay the expense. Your pet will also be quarantined when you arrive back in the us for 30 days. However, we bought back to stray kittens from France and were told they would be quarantined upon arrival in the us. When we arrived, they sent us to the dept of Agriculture who glanced at their health certificates and waved us through - no Quarantine! While we had the cats travelling with us in France (the last week of a 3 week trip) we had no problem with hotels, taxis, planes etc. Everyone allowed pets. Travelling between France and Italy should not be a problem.

As a Travel Pro in the Airline Industry, I would feel most uncomfortable boarding my pet on an aircraft for a number of reasons.

I have witnessed baggage handlers mishandling pets, often treated as "Excess Cargo". Not what your best friend deserves!
Save your pet the long journey and find him or her a good sitter instead.

i agree with the above poster.

the only exception would be the size of your dog and if he/she is able to fly in the cabin with you. otherwise it is not humane.

i have been trying to find a way to move to europe with my dog (whom i would never, ever leave behind) and the only option i've found so far is the queen mary 2 from nyc to london.

I would NEVER put my pet in cargo. She only flies in cabin with me. Im not concerned about the flight at all. She has flown many times for long hours. Its just the concern once we get there. Thanks for the help!

Air Canada has recently made major changes to their animal carriage policies. Check out the website for details.
While it might be nicer to have Fido join you in Coach, is presents a number of issues.

As an Industry Professional, I can see the day soon coming where pets do not travel in the Cabin, period. I am a Pet Lover myself but I strongly feel that for their own well-being, they do not belong in the Cabin.

unless the airline lets you take a small animal in a carry on with you on the flight, why would you subject your animal to being stored in the luggage area, with noise and smelling of jet fuel,for hours and hours, scared to death? I would think of the animal's needs, not your own.

Also check with the carrier to see if anyone else is bringing a pet we had a 3 hour flight with cat and small dog a row apart and fits of hissing and barking.

The flight was booked and no place to move either of
them.

There is a quarantine in the UK, although that can be avoided using the PETS scheme - check out the DEFRA website. On the continent, the rules are different, but largely governed by the EU, with certain county specific rules (e.g. I believe Italy requires a health certificate in Italian). If you know where you are going, check with the consular websites and the EU regulations (easy to Google).

I'm a US veterinarian now living in the UK and have brought over both a dog and a cat. While we don't travel with them (they're both getting pretty old), I have found that most airlines do a pretty respectable job on shipping pets. The UK rules are very strict regarding container size and documentation, so being familiar with the regs is critical to success. Keep all of their vaccinations up-to-date, and do your homework, but I think it's do-able for the prepared person.