Tea Time Travels

Out of all the logistics and planning we went through, the biggest stressor about moving to a different country was…. How was our sweet pup going to come with us?!

Cookie has been my childhood dog since I was 12 years old. She is the sweetest border collie/corgi mix with the biggest personality you can imagine. But she is also almost 15 years old, and would do anything to avoid putting her in the hold for an international flight.

Which quickly became a problem. England has some pretty strict laws when it comes to pet import. Namely, that pets are not allowed to arrive in the country unless they are in the hold. I spoke to several pet transportation companies that reassured me they did this for thousands of animals and take every precaution to ensure the experience is smooth for each animal. But the helicopter dog mom in me wanted to exhaust all options before taking that route.

Thus, my scheming began. I started researching any and all avenues to get her there.

Cunard cruises is a luxury cruise line that has a transatlantic voyage from New York to Northampton on the Queen Mary 2. Although it was a pretty penny, I thought this Cookies way to become a London lady. Until I called and found out that their kennels were completely booked until the following year.

Private jets were an option but I really didn’t want to spend my life savings on an 8 hour flight with my dog.

I finally found our answer on a Facebook group that I joined called Charted Air Travel With Pets. Someone suggested La Compangie, a French all business class airline that allows you to fly with pets up to 15 kg in the cabin. This airline only allowed 3 pets per flight. So we called to ask if there was availability, my husband booked his ticket, confirmed Cookie had a spot on the flight, and I was finally able to take a deep breath.

There was also quite a bit of paperwork that had to be done, along with certain requirements such as a valid microchip (it had to be a specific one that could be read internationally), rabies vaccine, health assessment, and tapeworm treatment. These had to be done within a certain time frame of her entering the country. Luckily, we were put in contact with a vet who had a pet relocation specialist. This was extremely helpful, as I was warned that if not all the paperwork was correct there is a risk she would be put in quarantine. There are also several companies that help manage this paperwork, but the quotes I received were much more expensive than what our local vet charged.

Finally, Cookie had her first class ticket to London. She would now be recognized as Biscuit, a proper London lady.