Bringing my best friend. I have had Charlee for just over 2 years now. I grew up with dogs and have always wanted to get a dog but it is a huge commitment in terms of time, money, and lifestyle changes. However, when my therapist recommended getting one to alleviate some of my PTSD symptoms I jumped at the excuse to finally bite the bullet. Getting Charlee has been the single best decision I have made in my life thus far. She brings me joy and makes me laugh, she is a steadfast companion and is always down for an adventure, and there is no one in this wordl that is more excited to see me when I come home (and let's be honest, who woudln't want that kind of welcome every time they come home!?!). I sleep better with her close, I am more consistent with getting out of the house at least once a day, and I am much more active taking her on walks and hiking and so many other adventures!
When I first decided to look into moving abroad I thought I would leave Charlee with a trusted friend for a few reasons. 1) it is SO HOT in Vietnam that she might not adjust well. 2) it is CRAZY expensive to relocate an animal across the world, especially one as large as Charlee who weighs in at 60lbs and is just about 3 feet tall. 3) it was only for a year. But after struggling to find someone who could commit to taking her and a lot of time to think things through, I actually think not being able to find a place for her to stay may have been a blessing in disguise. I am so excited that I have decided to take Charlee with me but it has definitely been a process!
I am using the same company my school uses for shipping personal affects to ship Charlee. When they first gave me the quote of $3,000 I had a bit of sticker shock so I started doing some price shopping. While it would be nice to only have to work with one company for all things shipping related, that price seemed a bit steep. I was sorely mistaken. After looking around at a dozen or so other companies, this was the cheapest option by at least $1k!!!
Here are some of the things I had to buy or get done before shipping a 60lb dog!
- Get her rabies shot updated! Vietnam does not accept the 3-year rabies vaccine so I had to update hers. It needs to be more than 30 days but within 12 months of travel.
- Buy her travel crate - dogs cannot travel in collapsable crates. I got her a Sky Kennel on amzong. Because of Charlee's size she needed the largest crate (700 series) and it cost just under $300
- Get her APHIS 7000 filled out by a USDA certified veterinarian within 10 days of travel
