PetRelocation Culture Club: Learning About Pets in Italy

Here at PetRelocation we're hard at work shipping pets all around the world, but we also set aside some time for fun stuff, too. Our Culture Club was recently created in order to provide activities that might complement our regular work day schedule, and every now and then they sneak something educational into the mix, too.

Following communications expert Dr. John Daly's visit a couple of weeks ago, on Tuesday we welcomed another special guest to our office --  Antonella Del Fattore-Olson, a Distinguished Senior Lecturer from the University of Texas.

Ms. Fattore-Olson is originally from Rome, Italy and has been teaching at UT for more than 20 years. She was kind enough to sit down with us over some delicious pizza to chat about life and customs in Italy, and everyone who attended walked away a little bit wiser about Italian culture.

During our lunchtime chat, PetRelocation employees asked questions that touched on business practices, dining customs, and of course, attitudes towards pets. Talking with Ms. Fattore-Olson helped us to think about how we interact with our Italian customers, and we're glad we had the chance to learn from a dedicated Italy expert.

Here are a few facts we learned from our session:

-City homes in Italy rarely have yards, so it's tough to keep dogs if you live in Rome, Florence, Milan, etc. Cats are more commonly kept as pets in the cities.

-Dogs have long been viewed as working animals, and that attitude is still prevalent throughout much of Italy.

-Many Italians travel over the Christmas holiday and during the summer, and the overall lack of kennel facilities also make it tough to have a dog.

-In terms of cultural norms, Italians are usually late (but not out of a lack of respect, assured our guest).

-When it comes to signing up for a service like pet relocation, Italians value quality of service above all.

What will our next Culture Club activity be? We'll be sure to tell you about it, and if you have questions about pet travel in the meantime, be sure to contact us.

Top photo by OliBac via Flickr