5 Pet Travel Stories That Warmed Our Hearts

Even though each pet move we manage is unique, keeping families and their pets together is always at the core of what we do. It probably comes as no surprise that we’ve witnessed some really heartwarming moments over the years, and each one is as rewarding as the last. We wanted to share with you some of our favorite pet travel stories that we’ve had the honor to be part of over the years. 

Moving 12 Cats and 2 Dogs to Austria

When Nicole decided that she wanted to move back to her homeland of Germany, she was immediately nervous. During her time here in the States, she’d opened her home to a sizable fur-family. These pets had become a huge part of her life and she knew she would not leave them behind. Imagine how Nicole felt when she found out that one of her dogs, a sweet bulldog mix named Spartacus, would not be allowed to enter Germany based on a breed restriction. 

Yes! This is all the same family. 

“When I found out that Germany was not going to be an option, I completely panicked,” Nicole explained. So, she regrouped and called PetRelocation. “PetRelocation stayed calm. Their calmness helped me calm down.”

With an extensive knowledge of requirements throughout the EU, our consultants were able to work with Nicole and pivot to a whole new plan. Germany’s neighbor, Austria, was close enough for Nicole to take trips home and, most importantly, doesn’t impose the same restrictions on banned breeds. So, the whole family got to stay together! In the end, all 14 pets made the move together to their new home and everyone got to stay together!

 

Nicole says, “I would never leave any of them behind. When I took them in over the years (they are all rescues and several of them had a rough life before we found each other), I promised them that I would always be there for them. Pets are family!” 
We have to say that we agree. 

You can read the full version of this larger than life story here.

Moving a Special Needs Dog to Spain 

Retiring to sunny Spain had been a lifelong dream of Linda’s. The sun, the beaches, the sangrias--what a perfect place to rest and relax. But, when Linda started to actually plan her move, she realized that the dream of bringing her pets with her was turning into a nightmare. 

Linda had adopted a dog who required special love and care. Chuy, a very sweet and handsome three-legged pup, suffers from anxiety and epileptic seizures. Traveling without his proper medication could have serious implications for this poor guy, and Linda didn’t know what she was going to do about transporting her beloved dog internationally. 

Worried that her perfect retirement would need to be put on hold, Linda contacted PetRelocation and explained her concerns. Luckily, in our years of pet travel preparations, we have run into this issue before! We contacted Linda’s veterinarian to see what kind of alternatives could be prescribed and were able to come up with a solution that made it easier for everyone.

Now Linda, Chuy and his brother Harvey are enjoying a well-deserved retirement as a family.

 

You can read their story here.

Moving the Cutest Dog in the World 

Orbit the Goldendoodle may be the baby of the family, but he is not an only child. He has a whole large family of humans who love him! 

 

Orbit’s three human siblings and two pet parents had to move ahead of Orbit while he stayed back in the US to fulfill the requirements for moving to Australia. The family was feeling incomplete but understood that PetRelocation was doing everything they could to reunite the pack as soon as possible. 

“We had a lot of anxiety about getting our little Orbit to us,” said Orbit’s mom. “But Nina and PetRelocation worked meticulously to make sure everyone knew what to do and when to do it!”  As the move day approached, Orbit’s family decided they wanted to make sure that everyone who cared for Orbit knew exactly how special he was. Team Orbit decorated his crate with a custom decal explaining that this crate contained the “Cutest Dog in the World (no contest)”.

 

We are happy to report that after completing the mandatory stay in quarantine, Orbit was released into the loving arms of his sweet family (a moment you can witness for yourself here). 
You can read more about Orbit’s journey here.

Moving a Dog During a Pandemic 

Buddy’s family was ready to make their big move from China to Switzerland. They had crossed every T and dotted every I to make sure Buddy could travel with them in the cabin of the airplane, and meet all the requirements for arriving into Switzerland. 

But then, the COVID-19 pandemic struck and Buddy’s family had to rush to Switzerland without him.”We were given a 48-hour notice and had to leave without him!” said dog mom, Mary Ellen. It’s stressful just thinking of the panic you may feel when all your planning is thrown out the window due to something so uncontrollable. “On the day we left, there were many tears because we had to leave Buddy behind and we didn’t know when he would be able to join us.”

What could have been a trying time turned out totally fine! PetRelocation made sure that this adorable poodle was housed and taken great care of until he was able to meet the requirements to be reunited with his family. Our team was able to get Buddy to Switzerland on the last flight out before widespread airline closures began.

You can read Buddy’s full story here.

Reuniting a Long Lost Cat with Her Family! 

If you’ve ever lost your pet— even if just for a minute— you know the absolute terror you feel. So, you can imagine how Katie felt when her beloved cat, Basia, went missing just days before she and her family were meant to move to Italy. Sadly, the family had to make the move feeling their family was incomplete. “I was devastated,” explained Katie. We would be too!

But don’t worry. This is a list of happy stories. So, that is not the end of Basia’s story.

 

Over three years later, Katie returned to the United States for a short visit when she received a call. Basia had been found and returned to a local animal shelter! “It took my breath away!” exclaimed the thrilled cat mom. Their family could now be complete and Katie immediately reached out to PetRelocation to plan Basia’s (better late than never!) trip to Italy. 
Now Basia, her human family (including a new baby brother), and her cat brother, Micio, are all living happily in Italy. 

You can read Basia’s full story here.

Did your pet move with us? Do you have a heartwarming story that you’d like to share? You can submit your story to share with us here! And if we can assist you with your upcoming move plans, we’d love to help. Set up your free consultation today.