Ok, so the blog posting I did titled "The Hardest Part" is no longer appropriately titled. A lot has happened in the past couple of days, you know the usual trip preparations, visiting with family, checking your lists for the sixth and seventh time. None of that was worth my time or interesting enough for anyone to read but I did learn a lesson the hard way and figured I would share that with you, my apparently bored, inebriated, related or easily entertained reader.
So about a week ago plans changed with our puppy "Tekila." After further review, we realized that it was going to cost close to $1000 USD, just to Mexico. To fly her from Mexico to where ever we plan on being will be nearly $700 USD, which means we would have spent more money on her tickets than we have spent on her since we got her. So needless to say we figured something else out. I called my sister who lives about 5 hours north of San Antonio in Tyler Texas, and asked her if she could keep Tekila for a couple of months and she agreed. My sweet sister offered to drive down and pick her up but I didn't want her to go that far out of her way for me so I asked her to meet me halfway in Waco Texas. (The rest of this blog will be a perfect example of how I take a great idea and turn it into a catastrophe.) She agreed again and we set the day for friday after she left her office for the day.
Now I wouldn't call me the most sensitive person in the world and if you ask my wife she'd say I'm probably more icy than most. I came up with the brilliant idea to invite my mother because I knew it had been a long time since she saw her last. (My sister is my mothers stepdaughter but the step is just a title) Our family marches to the beat of a different drum so communication isn't something we excel in. Now whenever I invite my mother it's almost understood that I have to invite my younger sister. Now I used to point out that this was where the difficulty came in but it actually wasn't, my younger sister actually wasn't a pain this time because it was all me. So we all piled up in my wife's dad's minivan. Drive nearly three hours to meet my sister halfway, we did leave an hour later than I had wanted and luckily for my my sister was also running behind but not nearly as much as we were.
Once we finally make it to Waco Texas, my sister tells me she found a place to eat, a Mexican restaurant which my wife quickly shot down. She isn't a fan of what Americans call "Mexican" food, while she acknowledges that it is food, she said it is to bland to be from her country. So when we met up I asked my sister if we could go to another place down the street and she offered to just take Tekila and go if it would be easier for us. I didn't even have to think twice, my wife and I both were quiet most of the way and I'm almost positive that we both already had tears building up in our eyes. Before we met up, my sister told me she brought her toy poodle "Big" to help ease the strange drive. Well when we got there I introduced Tekila to my sister and her dog and I swear Tekila has ESP because she instantly starting jumping around in her arms wanting to go back to me or my wife she didn't care who, but not in my sisters arms. This single act of doggy intuition caused the water works to open up for my wife. That's all it took, once I saw my wife loose her composure, I lost all control. Once I started crying it irritated me so much that I started to rush my sister because I felt like it was freaking out Tekila and my wife so I just told her to leave. What I didn't take into account was the other people that were there. My mother and sisters got a total of ten minutes to say how much they have missed each other for the past 10 years or so and then I made my sister leave. HOW SELFISH AM I?
As it turned out, not only did I rush my mother and sisters but my wife was really upset with me. She wanted her time to talk to her baby, to explain to her that we weren't abandoning her but that she was taking a vacation to stay with my sister until we can fly her to where ever we plant our roots. My thinking is that the longer my wife sees her baby fighting to stay with her the harder it was going to be on them both so I made a decision that hurt us all but I felt was the lesser of two evils. What ended up happening could have happened either way and to be honest now that I'm not all emotional about it, I don't think Tekila has thought about the incident since or at least I hope she hasn't. When you make choices that seem to hurt your children, there is sometimes a bit of remorse or guilt that lingers afterwards. At this point I have abandoned that emotion, sometimes it is easier to have blind faith in things when you ultimately have no control. Wether or not my dog feels abandoned or not is irrelevant what matters is that she will be taken care of and loved while she's not with us.
What you need to take into account when planning a trip, move or what ever it is you plan to do, don't forget the emotions of the people around you and that includes your pets. I love my dog like a child and I got her for my wife to have until we get old together but I didn't imagine we wouldn't be taking her with us when we set off to conquer the world. I had no idea how much it would cost to travel with our pet, how much trouble it is or the emotional costs associated with leaving her behind no matter who I left her with. I didn't think about the emotions my wife or I would go through and I blame that on ignorance. Ignorance and “PPP” (Piss Poor Planning) are usually the culprit in these situations and more often then not they are my usual issues. For some reason I seem compelled to do everything the hard way. That is great for my readers but hell on my wife's ulcers. I swear if I don't drive her crazy we'll live to a 100.
When it comes to your pets emotions, it's really all about how you perceive them to be, their emotions that is. When it comes to the emotions of your loved ones, then it's a whole new ball game. People tell you all kinds of things for all kinds of reasons. When emotions are involved people tend to err on the side of caution and give advice ( warranted or not ) that way as well. Remember that and take what people say with a grain of salt. People have all kinds of fears and they tend to tell those fears to anyone who will listen. Look it up people, FEAR may be a four letter word but it's just a word and you can change what that means for you. I have a new definition for the word fear, unknown. Every person I have ever talked to about fear always listed their fears starting with the ones they have yet to experience. Change your definition and get to know your fears and maybe you'll realize that there is a lot less to be afraid of than you think.
Showing posts with label Pet Travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pet Travel. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Can you travel with your pet?
As with all questions there is always an answer but as you read this posting you will soon realize the answer to this question is frustrating, incentivizing and plain dumb. The frustrating part is the fact that everyone has a set of rules and by everyone I mean each country, airline and even veterinarian so to keep your head straight you need to know all the answers to the questions you don't know yet, understand?
The incentive isn't really meant for you or I but for someone looking to get into a niche business here is one with hardly anyone to compete with. That industry needs someone to gather up all the information there is, get all the different players together and give them a home where people all over the world could find the answers they need. Like a wiki for traveling pets. Now the dumbest part comes down to cost. Why in HELL does Delta airlines want to charge me nearly $500 to fly my tiny little toy Yorkie from San Antonio Texas to Guadalajara, Jalisco Mexico? Now I pointed the finger at them but they aren't the only one. Some airlines refuse to take animals on their plane which is fine but if you do why would you charge so much? They put my pet (also known as my four legged daughter) in the bottom of the plane with the rest of the luggage and packages. Now tell me, isn't the occasional pet flying from point A to point B extra income for them? I know they get paid to ship packages so the space on the bottom of the plane is being sold just as the seats up top are, but why charge more for my dog to fly on the plane like a furry package than they do to ship a box the same size and weight? They take the same care of their packages as they do animals, they all get unloaded put on a conveyer belt and set aside until the owner or delivery guy gets there. Why does my dogs plane ticket cost more than our two tickets? My wife and I will have over 150 pounds of luggage that they will charge us an extra $50 for, make sense? My dog weighs 4.3 pounds, if you include the kennel she'd have to fly in it would be roughly 12 pounds. Again, why is the airline charging so much? Is it a deterrent to shipping pets or traveling with pets?
Now I would love to has over all the points on what frustrated me or explain how a person with a bit of time could go about making money off this niche but what I really want to talk about is the money!!
I really don't like money, I could honestly say I loathe it. People don't NEED MONEY, American society has made money the only way of payment for anything and I think that has lost some of the warmth of society. Don't understand where I am going with this? Then let me break it down for you.
In the beginning of man, was there money? Was there any sort of currency? Look it up, go ahead I know you're going to Google it anyways so I'll just wait till you confirm what I'm saying...
Ok so when a man wanted something another man had he would "pay" for the item but it wasn't always with trinkets because some people aren't interested in trinkets, I'm not. Men would trade services, supplies or work for whatever it was they wanted. Now I understand that I can't expect this world to still trade in animal pelts, weapons or other outdated form of currency but I do think that if I do something for a person I think that we could agree on other forms of payment. I am starting my new life of travel blogging and being a digital nomad by selling everything I own, giving away anything that is still useful and leaving my comfortable (barely middle class life) existence in the states for a life of learning, adventure and exploration and in my travels the need for money can be replaced with an internet connection, roof and a small portion of food. Now the reality is that I will need some sort of income during my travels so I do plan on moving this blog to its own domain and with a completely different look and I also plan on building up my network of websites to help produce some semblance of income. In between now and then I plan on trading my talents for room and board by using the helpX and work-a-way websites. I have mentioned them in previous posts and I will probably continue to write about them for months to come because they are the only reason I will be able to afford this life change.
So I've explained my money issue? Probably not, so this won't be the last rant I have on the subject so stay tuned.
Now back to the original question, can you travel with your pet? The answer is yes. You definitely can travel with your pet if you have a good stream of income and stay in each country a short/long enough time to get the next country's paperwork ready. I promise you if you do travel with your pet for too long you will easily become the subject matter expert (SME) because people with money don't want to blow it on dragging their pet around the world to see things the pet could care less about. On top of that, all of the work needed to travel with them is too expensive, tedious and time consuming makes the idea of taking them overwhelming. If you plan on sailing around the world and you have a pet that is cool with boats, then take your pet. You can leave your pet in the boat when you dock and they never have to go through customs. Problem solved and again it is solved with money. So to do the most annoying thing ever, I'll answer a question by asking a question (my wife hates that.) Why would a person want to travel the globe with their pet? My answer would be because some people can afford to live their dreams with or without a pet. We have decided to send our dog to my sister's in east Texas, Tekila can stay with her and when Brownie and I settle and get a home base then we will pay the bounty for our daughter. She'll just have a vacation of her own. So good luck to you, whichever category you're in because either way it goes if you have a pet and want to see if you have enough money to accomplish your goals with your pet, then you will still have to do all the leg work that I did since every situation is different it will literally take someone to collect all the information, decipher it and explain it to the rest of us before this process will get any easier. Right now it's so hard to figure it out that a lot of people give up, I think that was the plan all along.
The incentive isn't really meant for you or I but for someone looking to get into a niche business here is one with hardly anyone to compete with. That industry needs someone to gather up all the information there is, get all the different players together and give them a home where people all over the world could find the answers they need. Like a wiki for traveling pets. Now the dumbest part comes down to cost. Why in HELL does Delta airlines want to charge me nearly $500 to fly my tiny little toy Yorkie from San Antonio Texas to Guadalajara, Jalisco Mexico? Now I pointed the finger at them but they aren't the only one. Some airlines refuse to take animals on their plane which is fine but if you do why would you charge so much? They put my pet (also known as my four legged daughter) in the bottom of the plane with the rest of the luggage and packages. Now tell me, isn't the occasional pet flying from point A to point B extra income for them? I know they get paid to ship packages so the space on the bottom of the plane is being sold just as the seats up top are, but why charge more for my dog to fly on the plane like a furry package than they do to ship a box the same size and weight? They take the same care of their packages as they do animals, they all get unloaded put on a conveyer belt and set aside until the owner or delivery guy gets there. Why does my dogs plane ticket cost more than our two tickets? My wife and I will have over 150 pounds of luggage that they will charge us an extra $50 for, make sense? My dog weighs 4.3 pounds, if you include the kennel she'd have to fly in it would be roughly 12 pounds. Again, why is the airline charging so much? Is it a deterrent to shipping pets or traveling with pets?
Now I would love to has over all the points on what frustrated me or explain how a person with a bit of time could go about making money off this niche but what I really want to talk about is the money!!
I really don't like money, I could honestly say I loathe it. People don't NEED MONEY, American society has made money the only way of payment for anything and I think that has lost some of the warmth of society. Don't understand where I am going with this? Then let me break it down for you.
In the beginning of man, was there money? Was there any sort of currency? Look it up, go ahead I know you're going to Google it anyways so I'll just wait till you confirm what I'm saying...
Ok so when a man wanted something another man had he would "pay" for the item but it wasn't always with trinkets because some people aren't interested in trinkets, I'm not. Men would trade services, supplies or work for whatever it was they wanted. Now I understand that I can't expect this world to still trade in animal pelts, weapons or other outdated form of currency but I do think that if I do something for a person I think that we could agree on other forms of payment. I am starting my new life of travel blogging and being a digital nomad by selling everything I own, giving away anything that is still useful and leaving my comfortable (barely middle class life) existence in the states for a life of learning, adventure and exploration and in my travels the need for money can be replaced with an internet connection, roof and a small portion of food. Now the reality is that I will need some sort of income during my travels so I do plan on moving this blog to its own domain and with a completely different look and I also plan on building up my network of websites to help produce some semblance of income. In between now and then I plan on trading my talents for room and board by using the helpX and work-a-way websites. I have mentioned them in previous posts and I will probably continue to write about them for months to come because they are the only reason I will be able to afford this life change.
So I've explained my money issue? Probably not, so this won't be the last rant I have on the subject so stay tuned.
Now back to the original question, can you travel with your pet? The answer is yes. You definitely can travel with your pet if you have a good stream of income and stay in each country a short/long enough time to get the next country's paperwork ready. I promise you if you do travel with your pet for too long you will easily become the subject matter expert (SME) because people with money don't want to blow it on dragging their pet around the world to see things the pet could care less about. On top of that, all of the work needed to travel with them is too expensive, tedious and time consuming makes the idea of taking them overwhelming. If you plan on sailing around the world and you have a pet that is cool with boats, then take your pet. You can leave your pet in the boat when you dock and they never have to go through customs. Problem solved and again it is solved with money. So to do the most annoying thing ever, I'll answer a question by asking a question (my wife hates that.) Why would a person want to travel the globe with their pet? My answer would be because some people can afford to live their dreams with or without a pet. We have decided to send our dog to my sister's in east Texas, Tekila can stay with her and when Brownie and I settle and get a home base then we will pay the bounty for our daughter. She'll just have a vacation of her own. So good luck to you, whichever category you're in because either way it goes if you have a pet and want to see if you have enough money to accomplish your goals with your pet, then you will still have to do all the leg work that I did since every situation is different it will literally take someone to collect all the information, decipher it and explain it to the rest of us before this process will get any easier. Right now it's so hard to figure it out that a lot of people give up, I think that was the plan all along.
The Hardest Part
Almost Two years ago my wife and I had the "baby" talk and ended up with a puppy. Now we have our baby so what do we do with her? The first idea is to take her but it will take about 10 minutes of research to learn that if you have money to spend and trust just any veterinarian to care for your pet then sure you can take your pet anywhere. In the event you don't have either a fat savings account or a steady stream of income then this is not an option. We opted to send our little baby to Mexico to live with my mother in law. If I had it my way I would leave here here state side but we don't have anyone here that we could leave her with for an undetermined amount of time so off to Mexico she goes. At this point in our travels we don't know how long we will be bouncing around from country to country or if we will get a "home base" somewhere. If we do get stable then we plan on shipping her to where ever we are, depending on the country we end up calling home depends on what we will have to do next.
When you cross international borders with a pet, you need to have a lot of documentation stating your pet is up-to-date on their shots, they are micro-chipped and that they are disease free. The whole process could take up to six months depending on your home country but in the states you can get everything done in a month as long as you find a vet to help. I currently live in the 8th largest city in the United States and there was only 1 vet here that would agree to do the health certificate that our pet needs to leave the states. The pet health certificate you will need to leave the states costs approximately $200 not including any shots, the micro chip or other Vet fees which they can easily tack on and you must start the health certificate 10 days before they are to leave. It's the one time in my life I felt like I was the dog, jumping through hoops and begging for a treat. The micro chip you need to get for your pet before you go to most European countries can't be a simple chip it must be compatible with ISO standard 11784 or 11785 if not you must provide a micro chip reader. You also need to ensure you have the chip implanted well in advance because some countries require you to have your pets rabies shots done a certain amount of time after the chip was implanted and before the expected flight date. I will repeat myself, you MUST start looking at the requirements from both the home country and receiving country so give yourself as much time as possible and it would be helpful if you are starting to plan your trip to get out a calendar and start putting the dates down.
Other than all of the red tape you have to go through to ship your pet anywhere there is also the stress you will have for the stress that your pet will have. The transition from our apartment to my wife's aunt has been confusing enough for her and the next step will really blow her mind, we never crated our puppy and to fly your pet internationally, the pet must be in the cargo hold area and can not ride in the cabin with you. So now to ease our pet's stress we need to buy a carrier that the airline approves and crate her now before we leave so she is at least familiar with the cage and that will be one less thing to freak her out. Again, I stress to those of you who have a pet and want to travel, do your research early and often because there are a million and one regulations. After you satisfy the border crossing requirements you still need to figure out the requirements of the airline, train or bus line you choose. We are planning on flying our pet to Mexico rather than by bus or train so I haven't had to look at those requirements and while I probably should help out anyone reading this blog and try to translate their requirements too but I'm not a super blogger yet. Do your pet justice and think about them in this move, what will be best for them no matter how you feel. If taking your pet all over the world will work for your pet and you can afford it then by all means enjoy all that the world has to offer. If taking your pet will cause you mental and financial problems then either find them a loving home or work from a home base. Good luck with your pet travels, I know my puppy is worth it and I'd bet yours is too.
Here are some helpful links.
USDA
Another USDA Link
When you cross international borders with a pet, you need to have a lot of documentation stating your pet is up-to-date on their shots, they are micro-chipped and that they are disease free. The whole process could take up to six months depending on your home country but in the states you can get everything done in a month as long as you find a vet to help. I currently live in the 8th largest city in the United States and there was only 1 vet here that would agree to do the health certificate that our pet needs to leave the states. The pet health certificate you will need to leave the states costs approximately $200 not including any shots, the micro chip or other Vet fees which they can easily tack on and you must start the health certificate 10 days before they are to leave. It's the one time in my life I felt like I was the dog, jumping through hoops and begging for a treat. The micro chip you need to get for your pet before you go to most European countries can't be a simple chip it must be compatible with ISO standard 11784 or 11785 if not you must provide a micro chip reader. You also need to ensure you have the chip implanted well in advance because some countries require you to have your pets rabies shots done a certain amount of time after the chip was implanted and before the expected flight date. I will repeat myself, you MUST start looking at the requirements from both the home country and receiving country so give yourself as much time as possible and it would be helpful if you are starting to plan your trip to get out a calendar and start putting the dates down.
Other than all of the red tape you have to go through to ship your pet anywhere there is also the stress you will have for the stress that your pet will have. The transition from our apartment to my wife's aunt has been confusing enough for her and the next step will really blow her mind, we never crated our puppy and to fly your pet internationally, the pet must be in the cargo hold area and can not ride in the cabin with you. So now to ease our pet's stress we need to buy a carrier that the airline approves and crate her now before we leave so she is at least familiar with the cage and that will be one less thing to freak her out. Again, I stress to those of you who have a pet and want to travel, do your research early and often because there are a million and one regulations. After you satisfy the border crossing requirements you still need to figure out the requirements of the airline, train or bus line you choose. We are planning on flying our pet to Mexico rather than by bus or train so I haven't had to look at those requirements and while I probably should help out anyone reading this blog and try to translate their requirements too but I'm not a super blogger yet. Do your pet justice and think about them in this move, what will be best for them no matter how you feel. If taking your pet all over the world will work for your pet and you can afford it then by all means enjoy all that the world has to offer. If taking your pet will cause you mental and financial problems then either find them a loving home or work from a home base. Good luck with your pet travels, I know my puppy is worth it and I'd bet yours is too.
Here are some helpful links.
USDA
Another USDA Link
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