Moving with Pets

Moving a multi-pet household

When we moved back to Italy, after several years abroad, we had four dogs in our household (now we have seven !).

The thing that concerned me most about the move, after finding a nice school for my son, was the safety and well-being of our dogs.

Two of them had a problem history which made the whole thing even more complicated. One of our two 'problem dogs' was still a puppy but had already undergone a complicated operation, and still needed being monitored. The other one we adopted from a local shelter. Given her background I thought she would never survive being separated from us, even if it were only for a day or two. So we decided to drive all the way to Italy over several days with the two dogs. But, having already a kid in the car, plus all our stuff that could not be shipped, we could not possibly add two more dogs. So I was still wondering what I should do with our two other babies (an English bulldog and a Pug).

This is when I came to hear about Worldcarepet.com. Let me put straight from the start that this is not meant to be some kind of disguised advertising for a pet transport company. It just happens to be the only experience I had with this kind of company and it turned out to be a very positive one, so I thought I should share this experience with you. Maybe it helps other pet parents not to give their dogs up for adoption, just because they think it is impossible to move their multi-pet household. Of course, this kind of service has a price, but then again, you may find that your furry friends are worth the sacrifice, especially if no other options are available. In the end, this is the type of thing you will probably have to do only once in a life-time. However, if you are relocated to Italy for business reasons, do try to have this service included in your relocation package.

If moving (or traveling) with a small pet, flying with your pet may be more convenient and cost-efficient. Airlines have different rules about transporting pets. Usually dogs up to about 11 pounds, or about 5 kilograms, are allowed to travel with you in the cabin in an appropriate pet bag. Larger animals are confined to a heated or air-conditioned section of the hold. However, traveling with several dogs of different sizes may become a hassle and that is where the pet moving company offering door-to-door service may be a better solution. As I said, I moved two dogs with World Care Pet Transport, our Pug Tommy and our English Bulldog Luna. Two breeds of dogs that require special care and attention as they are particularly sensitive to heat and can easily get a fatal heat stroke. However, when I balanced that risk against the concerns with my two 'problem dogs' I knew that Tom and Luna, who had been with us for a longer time, would temperament-wise suffer less from a short separation than would my two 'problem' dogs. Worldcarepet.com offered a very personalized service and I could tell from the transportation sheet attached to the travel crate that my recommendations had been transmitted all along the chain. Saying that the dogs were all happy would be an overstatement. After all, between pick-up, transport and delivery, they had been on their own for more than two days, but I could easily tell from their face and behavior that they had been very well looked after and that all my specific requirements had been respected.

Importing Pets to Italy

To cross the Italian (or European) border, your pet needs an individual European Pet Passport. Pets that re-enter the UK must have a Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) to avoid quarantine. For more info concerning British dogs, see this page from the DEFRA.

Animals imported from the US and non-EU countries must undergo a blood test proving that they have been inoculated with the rabies vaccine and are indeed immune to the disease. The blood test must be done by a laboratory approved by the European Commission.

Dogs must be over 3 months and 21 days of age and have a valid rabies vaccination by a recognized authority (veterinary clinic). In theory dogs can be imported at the age of three months. However, as they need a valid rabies vaccination, done at the age of three months and this vaccination needs 21 days to become effective, the Minister della Salute (Health Minister) have concluded that dogs must be three months and 21 days old before they can be imported into Italy. If you use a Pet transport company they may require additional vaccinations (for example, kennel cough) and have different age limits.

A non-commercial importer may bring up to five pets into Italy, any more than five is considered a commercial import.

Each dog need a to have valid identification (preferably by microchip) that will be mentioned on his EU Pet Passport.

Upon arrival, your dog must be registered with the local canine register of the A.S.L. In some cases this can be done through your Italian veterinary. Any change in ownership due to loss, adoption, death or move must be communicated to the same entity.

The following regulations currently apply for dogs everywhere in Italy:

- All dogs should be kept on a lead on the street or in public spaces;
- All dangerous dogs should have a muzzle and be kept on a lead for walking on the street or in open air public spaces;
- Owners should always clean up their dogs' feces.

Are considered dangerous breeds in Italy: pit bulls as well as "all molosser breeds with prominent mandibles that were bred in the 1800's to fight bulls" and "dogs with a marked aggressive temperament from FCI groups 1 and 2" (we are just citing the Italian Department of Health..). The owners of these dogs must take a civil liability insurance in Italy. For more info (in Italian), see this page of the Italian Ministery of Health's website.

Please note that some local administrations have additional regulations, so it is advisable to contact them directly for correct information.