How to Move Your Dog to Ireland

Welcome to my very first blog post and thank you for bearing with me as I get started! I thought it was very apropos that my first post revolve around our French Bulldog, Hugo, and how he is making his international move from Minnesota to Dublin, Ireland. When people hear that we are moving across the pond, most everyone's first questions is "How the heck is Hugo getting there?!" It is quite the involved process, so enjoy reading below!

Look at that face!

First and foremost, we are very lucky that we are traveling with Chris' company because they have set us up with an international pet moving company called PetRelocation. They are a complete door-to-door service and will be picking up Hugo from our home in Minnesota and bringing him to our new home in Dublin. This has taken away a lot of the stress of researching and executing Hugo's move on our own. Now, don't think this didn't stop me from doing my own research -- a mom has to always be prepared!

Our consultant, Jon, scheduled an initial phone call with us to get to know us and Hugo and talk tentative logistics. I was ready to hear Jon tell us that Hugo was going to be able to fly with us in the cabin; that he'd just have to be in a travel carrier under the seat in front of us, and that would be that. Remember that research I did? This is what I had found from reading others' blogs and posts. Not to mention that I had read all over the place that stub-nosed breeds, such as a French Bulldog, cannot fly in the cargo of an airplane because they can die(!) from being unable to regulate their body temperature effectively. Well, what I was about to hear is that Hugo would not be flying in the cabin with us. [insert streams of silent tears running down my face.] 

Jon gave us the complete rundown and we instantly trusted him. Yes, even as tears streamed down my face, I knew Hugo would be in the best hands. Jon has been helping pets move for years and has moved 7,000-8,000 pets in his tenure, including several hundred bulldogs. He was calm and reassuring and was very understanding when Chris told him I was crying. [ahem, thank you very much Chris ;)] He just gets it, so he instantly put us at ease.

Jon explained to us that Hugo will be flying with Lufthansa, which is world renowned for its animal travel. Lufthansa actually transports zoo animals and pets alike all over the world. They specialize in making sure every animal of every type is properly taken care of and treated first class. Lufthansa regulates the temperature in their cargo holds so that the animals' body temperatures are properly regulated. This is not only reassuring, but an absolute must. Here is a cute, short video of Lufthansa's Cargo Animal Lounge.

Further, the animals are also the last ones on the plane and the first ones off. Each pilot is given information about all the animals on his/her flight, so even the pilots will know our sweet little Hugo will be on the flight! 

I did ask Jon why Hugo can't fly in the cabin with us and this is what he explained to us. The United States is a rabies controlled country. Ireland and the UK do not have rabies at all. So in order for Ireland and the UK to better manage and control the animals coming into their country, they require that all animals come in as manifest cargo. This allows Ireland to know exactly what animals are coming in, when they've last had their shots, etc. Since Hugo is going to be traveling better than most humans, we have come to peace with this. 

Hugo's Care & Itinerary:

Chris and I will be on our honeymoon in Greece following our wedding in Germany, so Hugo will be seen off by a special family member who is going to be taking care of the nugget while we're gone.

• On Monday, October 9th, Hugo will get picked up by one of PetRelocation's employees at our home in Minnesota and driven to Chicago. While he is en route, PetRelocation will be preparing his paperwork, including the Vet Pack, which contains all necessary international paperwork, and the USDA endorsement.
• Once Hugo is in Chicago, he will have his vet consult and all final paperwork will be completed and will be boarded for one night.
• Hugo will be transported, supervised, tendered, checked in at O'Hare International Airport. 
• He'll fly from Chicago to Frankfurt, Germany. While he is in flight, he will be crated [crate training currently in progress].
• Once he lands in Frankfurt, he has a six hour layover. He is assigned a PetRelocation employee, who is the only person that is allowed to handle him. This person will help take care of Hugo, love him, play with him, and also send us pictures! 
• Then, he'll get on his second and last flight to Dublin, which will be much shorter than the ORD > FRA leg.
• Once Hugo lands in Dublin, he'll be assigned another PetRelocation employee, who will take care of him and makes sure he gets through customs [picture how cute it would be if Hugie had his own passport and backpack and snorting his way through customs]. Once he's through, he will get delivered straight to our new home in Dublin where we will be waiting for him with all the hugs and kisses.

Hugo will arrive in Dublin on Thursday, October 11th after several days of travel. Obviously, we are still pretty stressed about this, but are trusting in PetRelocation and the process. I'm thankful we will be by the ocean in Greece with bountiful drinks in case I need to calm my nerves!

Our biggest task right now is crate training Hugo. Those of you who know us well, know that Hugo did not do well with crate training when we got him as a puppy. Admittedly, we were also weak and "first time parents" who didn't push the issue. This time around, we understand the importance of Hugie liking his crate so that he doesn't get stressed out being in there. Regardless, he is going to have stress while he goes on his international journey, so we are taking all steps necessary to qualm any anxiety that could exist. So far so good with the crate training. We are taking baby steps so that we ease him into it. Jon also suggested that we put one of our shirts or blankets in the crate with him when he travels so that he has a sense of home and security. We've already decided he'll be flying with his favorite faux fur blanket :) 

I'm not kidding when I say Hugo will be traveling first class and better than the rest of us! I hope this paints a good picture of what this process has looked like so far and how Hugo will be moving to Dublin! Don't hesitate to send positives Hugo's way October 9th-12th!

Up next - Chris and I are heading to Dublin August 12-18 to [hopefully] find a place to live! Check out my Instagram story for live updates and back here for a post upon our return!

Cheers!