Moving Overseas with "Girls" Best Friend

When my Husband and I made the decision to move thousands of miles across the Ocean from Australia to Canada, there was one definite in what we knew we had to plan for - bringing our fur baby Charli the Schnauzer with us! There was no question that she wouldn't join us on this big adventure we had planned. She is part of our family and we couldn't just give her away because we chose to change our lives. When we bought her home we made a commitment of 10-15years to care for her and look after her and never leave her. So we were sticking to it. Moving countries can be stressful and overwhelming enough without having to factor in bringing a pet with you, so I decided to write about it and hopefully I can help/ inspire others who are planning to move overseas to bring their furry family members with them with little to no hassles.

From my experience here is what I have learned from moving overseas with our pet

1. Do some research into the country you are moving to and their laws on bringing in pets

Moving from Australia to Canada was relatively simple, I researched the Canadian government website and did some reading into the basic requirements of importing a domestic pet into the country. It was all pretty straight forward when it came to moving her to Canada which was easily followed up by the next step.

However, if and when the time comes to return to Australia, its a WAY more lengthy process! IF you are planning on bringing your pet into Australia they have very strict processes to be followed and you need to plan ATLEAST 6 months in advance as Dogs coming into Australia require to have a rabies vaccine AND a rabies blood test (along with other important vaccines) once they have had the rabies blood test they cannot enter Australia for an extra 180 days and require to be kept in quarantine for 10 days upon arrival.

So it is very important to do your research into the country you are entering as to have an idea of planning times of your move. I have included links to both the Canadian and Australian government website for reference http://travel.gc.ca/returning/customs/bringing-your-pet-to-canada http://www.agriculture.gov.au/cats-dogs 2. Find a reputable Pet Transport Company

It is, in my opinion very important to find a reputable Pet Transport Company to help you with your move, moving your pet can be costly i'm not going to lie. It cost us more than 2 adult plane tickets to have Charli moved from Australia to Canada, and it will cost even more to bring her back to Australia, but this is your pet we're talking about. You want to ensure they are travelling as safely and comfortably as possible.

So do your research, talk to some transport companies, read their reviews, get quotes and make sure your happy and confident in the company you choose.

It is also important to get in early with a pet transport company to start organising your travel and required permits and paperwork. They are the professionals, they do this all day every day for a living and they will be able to guide you through the process for a smooth move overseas.

If anyone is interested we used Dogtainers when moving Charli from Australia to Canada and they were absolutely fantastic.

3. Contact your Veterinarian

Once you have organised everything with the Pet Transport Company and done your research you

will need to contact your pet's Vet to let them know of your impending move and the process of getting vet papers and vaccines/ blood tests organised.

Like I said previously, coming to Canada was pretty straight forward but going back to Australia requires a lot more organising, so if this is the case you want to ensure you have those appointments scheduled as soon as possible to avoid delaying your expected travel times and give yourself enough time for unexpected medical issues that may arise and need to be addressed before the big journey. 4. Get yourself mentally prepared

What you are about to do isn't going to be easy. When the day came for Charli to be picked up, watching her being put into that metal cage knowing she had no idea what was happening was incredibly hard (yes I cried), because no matter how much you prepare the paperwork and all the legalities, your pet has no idea whats happening and its very scary for them. So be prepared for it.

But just know that after this big journey your pet is going to be over the moon happy to see you and after a few long walks, treats and cuddles in your new home, you will not regret for a moment bringing them with you.

5. Find a reputable Vet in your new home

This is very important. When your arrive in your new home, do your research and find a good vet you are comfortable with and have your pets files transferred immediately.

When Charli first arrived, she got sick from some new food we had given her. Thankfully we had found a great vet and within a few days she was back to her old self again.

Our new Vet is fantastic and we are at ease knowing that if we ever have a problem we have someone we can trust to make sure Charli gets the best care possible.

6. Spend lots of time together and enjoy exploring your new Country

This has been my favourite part of moving overseas with Charli. She has been on so many new adventures and she loves coming hiking and camping with us.

We now live in an apartment which is so different to our lives in Australia when she had a backyard to run around in, and its adorable watching her explore all the new smells and landscapes. So taking her out with us when we go exploring is incredibly important and she's a dog so theres nothing she loves more than getting to run wild.

But its also been a great comfort having her with us, especially when the old homesickness creeps up. Having her around to remind me of home has been amazing!

If you have any questions about our experience moving overseas with Charli the Schnauzer leave a comment below! Until next time Happy Adventuring !

#Moving #MovingAbroad #Canada #Pets #VancouverIsland