The Secret Life of Pet Shippers | Part One
Helping pets relocate with their families is a job unlike any other. On a daily basis, our Relocation Coordinators and Consultants juggle logistics, pet safety, client needs, airline policies, international government regulations, and so much more.
Curious about what it's really like to help pets move with their owners? In honor of the recent hit movie The Secret Life of Pets, go behind the scenes for our two-part series all about the secret life of pet shippers!
The Skills
Our team of Relocation Coordinators and Consultants comes from a variety of backgrounds, and they can count wedding planning, project managing, dog training, software sales, hotel services and even managing a Segway city tour business among their previous work experiences. Being a smart and effective pet shipper means being extremely detail-oriented and organized, and though it's not a requirement, it doesn't hurt to be obsessed with pets (as you might guess, everyone on the team has at least one furry family member at home).
"Being a certified dog trainer and behaviorist has really helped me when I’m talking to clients about the experience from their pets’ point of view. Also, the general skills that are definitely put to use here include being organized, detail oriented and communicating well." - Sandhya, International Relocation Coordinator
The Training
Once hired, our future pet shippers spend several weeks studying pet travel best practices and shadowing experienced team members. Under the guidance of Rebecca, our head trainer, newbies are educated and quizzed until they're ready to start planning pet moves on their own, keeping in mind that working at PetRelocation means starting on a journey of constant learning and growth.
Rebecca and Joe assemble a pet travel crate
Sharing updates about a country's changing import requirements and asking a colleague for help and advice are constants here, and PetRelocation's open office plan promotes continuous sharing and collaborating. Each pet move and each happy reunion is made possible by several people, not just one or two.
"I remind our new hires that training here is not about knowing everything; it is about knowing your resources and how to use them." - Rebecca, Pet Relocation Trainer
The Logistics
Most of our clients travel via air on a pet friendly airline, and our team prioritizes pet safety first and foremost. Though many people first contact us hoping to move their pet via ground, by boat, or in the cabin of the plan, after learning more about the options available they eventually come to see that cargo travel on a pet safe airline is our preferred method for good reason.
"It’s not just about putting pets on a plane and hoping for the best; it’s about planning safe routing, walking through vet requirements, filling out import permits, and much, much more." - Bethany, Customer Experience Analyst & former Relocation Coordinator
Sarah and Jon meet with a client about planning their move to Ireland
The Pets
While it's true that most of our clients are moving with dogs and cats, we also commonly relocate birds, fish, rabbits, guinea pigs, and bearded dragons. The largest pets we've moved are horses and the smallest are geckos, and among the most unusual are a porcupine (for a zoo), two young zebras, and a snake named Jesus.
As you might guess, PetRelocation employees make pretty great dinner party guests thanks to all the one-of-a-kind stories we've gathered over the years!
Read some of our favorite pet relocation stories
"The most unusual pet I have moved was a snake named Jesus traveling domestically. Cold blooded animals are a whole different ballgame when relocating with commercial airlines. Rather than keeping them cool as with dogs and cats, the main focus in these moves is keeping them at the proper warmth throughout." - Joe, Senior Corporate Account Manager