Whether you’re embarking on a new personal journey, returning home, or taking on a job assignment overseas, moving is a big undertaking with a lot of checklists and timelines. Add a pet (or multiple pets) into the mix, and you’ve got an additional and completely different set of steps to take to ensure the whole family arrives to your new home safe and sound.
Research has shown that moving is often considered one of life’s most stressful events. And that’s just the human component. Pet parents often don’t realize how complicated and time-consuming it can actually be to prepare and execute the move of a dog, cat, or other animal family member. Depending on the import requirements of your destination, turning to a professional for help could save you time, prevent unforeseen setbacks, and provide overall peace of mind that your pet’s journey will be handled with experience and care.
While it may not be the best fit for every situation, we believe there are some significant benefits to hiring a pet relocation company and have helped thousands of pet parents who seem to agree!
The internet is a great source of information, but unfortunately, it’s not always the most up to date.
Pet transportation companies build their reputations on staying informed with the most up-to-date information affecting animal imports and travel. We do this by working with a network of pet shippers who continuously update one another on changes that arise in country regulations, airline rules, or any other surprises in our world.
And while we always hope everything goes according to plan, a good pet relocator will always have a contingency plan in place. Just about every scenario you could encounter, we have seen and dealt with—another perk of having a professional handling your pet’s move!
What our clients say about leaving the logistics to a professional:
"At one point, I told my husband that ‘I wish we could hire PetRelocation to organize our entire move!’” - Sarah and Hazel
“We had an unforeseeable circumstance where the airline lost some of our paperwork and our PetRelocation agent, Ananda, was able to reissue our health certificate and FedEx all the way to South Africa to ensure our pup didn't have to spend a week in quarantine. We aren't sure what we would've done if PetRelocation wasn't on our side! ...There are often circumstances you just can't prepare for and it is such a great relief to have experts on your side.”- Megan and Charlie
Chances are your pet isn’t the only one in your family whose relocation you’re planning. When you hire a professional, they can handle the time-consuming work so you can focus on your own plans. Two great examples of this are working with the airlines and your veterinarian.
Did you know that many airlines have strict embargoes in place during the summer months that may restrict your pet’s travel? What would you do if you found out that due to your pet’s breed, he or she could not travel on the flight you have already booked for yourself? It could take hours, or days, to figure out the logistics on your own.
On top of that, your pet is going to need a health certificate issued by a USDA accredited veterinarian before they can travel. Unfortunately for your veterinarian, each destination can have incredibly different requirements. For a vet's office that may only issue one or two international health certificates a year, it can be hard to keep each destination straight! They may ask you to do some research into the requirements yourself.
A professional pet shipping company will have all this information readily available for you with just one call!
Let’s say your family is moving to London. Did you know PetRelocation has a dedicated UK team (as well as a team for every other destination, too)? This team facilitates nothing but moves to and from the UK—meaning that the requirements are always fresh on their mind. That way they can offer excellent guidance to you and your veterinarian while knowing exactly which airline your pet can travel on. We’ll consult with your veterinarian and make the flight booking too!
What our clients have to say about us working with airlines, veterinarians, and more:
“PetRelocation worked very closely with my veterinarian in Seattle and was even on the phone with us during the final vet appointment to walk us through the final paperwork page by page. I could not have navigated these details without them!” - Carrie, Ryder, and Cody.
Sometimes things that are out of your control can go wrong when planning a pet’s move. For instance, remember that health certificate we mentioned earlier? The original certificate must travel with your pet. But what happens if you misplace this paperwork?
Misplacing mandatory paperwork can result in a myriad of setbacks. Having the paperwork re-issued and re-endorsed could result in postponing or canceling your flight, reworking your own itinerary, significant extra costs in rebooking fees, new veterinarian fees, and possibly pet boarding.
We know you have a lot of your own paperwork to keep track of. Let your professional pet relocator hold onto your pet’s mandatory paperwork for you. It will be keep it in a safe place until his or her day of travel. Then, if there is an unexpected setback, details can be rearranged for you. Flights can be rebooked and arrangements made for temporary boarding and care. That way you and your family can keep your plans while someone takes care of your pet and makes sure their journey goes off without a hitch.
What our clients say about feeling at peace with their pet’s trip in expert hands:
“When my pets were picked up by the PetRelocation agent, my apprehension was eased by his obvious love of animals and devotion to Calypso and Lulu starting their journey on the right foot. This included photos of their check-in at the Denver airport... giving me peace of mind for my personal travel.” - Nicolas, Calypso, and Lulu
Perhaps the veterinary work is a cause of stress for you or you need more time to focus on the human aspects of your relocation. The benefits of hiring a professional pet shipping company will vary based on each family’s specific needs. Along with pricing, there are many items to consider when determining if this is a service that makes sense in your situation.
There will always be costs incurred when sending your pet across the world or country. Fees for flights, veterinary work, blood tests, permits—and sometimes quarantine—are unavoidable. However, for many families, having a professional there to take the lead for their pet has proven to be well worth the additional cost.
Are you wondering if hiring a professional pet relocator would make sense for your upcoming move? We’d love to help or answer any questions if we can. Contact us today!