Pet Move of the Month: Quincy’s Relocation to Australia
We're excited to announce this month's featured move, which shows the importance of detail-oriented planning and perseverance when it comes to planning a pet relocation.
Moving pets to Australia is a long and often stressful process on its own, and in this case our team had even more of a challenge to take on when it was discovered that Quincy, a Boston Terrier on the move, had a heart condition.
His health issue made it more important than ever to carry out each step with care, and ultimately he completed his trip successfully and is now enjoying a life filled with beach time, fresh air, and the companionship of his devoted owner Kris.
Thanks to Kris for sharing this incredible experience with us! Read on to find out more about Quincy and his big adventure.
What brought about your move?
I received an opportunity with my company to relocate to Australia. I had been to Australia a couple of times for work and fell in love with the country, so when they offered to send me out I thought my dreams were coming true! It was a really tough decision because I was uprooting everything I knew including my dog. I almost didn’t accept the offer because I was so worried about trying to transfer Quincy. The hardest thing about it all was that I was going to have to move to Australia before Quincy was through the 6 month quarantine process, so I would need a lot of help in the United States.
Were you familiar with the air travel process for dogs, or was all of this new to you?
It was all new to me. I started researching and pulled step-by-step instructions from the Australian government website, read horror stories online, and just hadn’t a clue where to start. I thought that I could do it on my own, but it soon became apparent that I needed help. When I started to work with PetRelocation I was happy to find out that specific airlines are preferred and they have dedicated pet safety teams to transition your pet through the process. That really helped put me at ease. I was so scared he would just be kind of tossed in with the luggage.
I researched any possible way to get my dog to Australia, including pulling a Johnny Depp and going on a ship. The thought of him in quarantine and not being able to travel with me was too scary to fathom. The quarantine scared me the most, but PetRelocation told me about the Melbourne facility and their staff, which helped put me at ease.
How did you prepare Quincy for the trip?
Quincy absolutely despised being crated, and no matter how much I worked with him it seemed like it would never get better. I ended up sending him to a doggy boot camp for 3 weeks in North Carolina. They worked with him to get him comfortable with his travel crate and to keep calm. We worked with him and the crate up until his departure. I think also being away at doggy camp for 3 weeks accustomed him a bit to being away from me. This helped tremendously when it was time to travel.
Because Quincy is a snub-nosed breed I also purchased a larger crate to allow more air flow. PetRelocation’s website helped me when choosing. I had yet to hire them when I purchased his crate, but I used their website quite a lot during the initial start of the process.
Once I started working with PetRelocation, everything went very smooth. Linda sent comprehensive email updates with clear step-by-step instructions to myself and to the vets. She even helped us find a vet in our area that was certified to perform the necessary visits. Our new vet ended up finding a very serious heart condition and there was a chance he would not be able to fly, as they were worried about how stable Quincy was. This was extremely devastating news. Quincy had some major tests done and we decided to monitor him and his heart for a while to see if he got better. Quincy was put on 5 different meds and had lots of follow-up visits.
Linda and the team followed Quincy the whole way. They redid his timelines and incorporated assessments with his follow-up visits, which helped save me money and us time. Quincy probably still wouldn’t be here yet if we didn’t have Linda tracking his every move until he was given the OK to travel. We ended up only having to delay a month and I was so thrilled, as I had already been in Australia for 3 months so I was missing him so much.
How has his transition to your new home been? Do you have any favorite dog friendly spots in Sydney so far?
Needless to say there were lots of tears shed when he arrived. We were both so happy. PetRelocation helped us with getting a vet to visit Quincy in quarantine as well as a partner service to fly him from Melbourne to Sydney and deliver him right to my front door. He seemed to not be traumatized at all.
Since he has been here, we have spent lots of time on the beaches. There are some dog friendly beaches nearby in Mosman and Quincy loves looking for fish and crabs in the ocean. Although he is turning my apartment into a sandbox, it is so worth it to see how happy he is. There are so many parks and green spaces to take him to as well. Our weekends are filled with long walks around the city and of course the beach!
What advice do you have for people who might be starting to plan their pet’s move?
Research the country’s laws where you are moving to, as you will be surprised at how strict some places are (and it also heavily depends on your country of origin). I highly recommend speaking to your vet and ensuring your pet can make the trip. Quincy still has a very severe heart condition and is 10 years old, but he made the trip very smoothly. Talk to someone like PetRelocation, they understand the process in and out.
What made you decide to hire PetRelocation to assist you?
I submitted an online request and it was instantly answered. I engaged them before I decided on my move to Australia and they gave me so much information to start with. At first, I was determined to do it by myself. I deal with complicated documents and government requirements in my job every day, how hard can it be? I made it a few steps into the process and realized I really needed help. When I reached back out to them they were so pleasant and immediately started questioning where I was in the process so they could put together a full timeline and costs for me.
Given all the issues with Quincy’s heart and the fact that I had to be out here first, PetRelocation made the whole process completely stress free. I don’t think I can convey how much that helps.
The first thing they told me was that I was going to feel more traumatized than my pet, and when he arrived with a big grin on his face, I understood immediately. They took all the worry away with mountains of paperwork and specific vet appointments. When Quincy was about to travel they were on standby the whole time. I could track his flight progress, they sent me pics when he landed at each location, and they were constantly giving me updates the entire time.
I never once wondered where my dog was and if he was okay. Linda ensured that she was available at all times. PetRelocation treats your pet like it is their own, and I think that is the big thing that sets them apart. The level of detail and care they put into everything made a seriously scary experience unbelievably smooth. It was the best decision I made when making such a big move.