MOVING COUNTRIES WITH YOUR PET SERIES : SINGAPORE TO PORTUGAL
In this blog as part of the Moving with your Pets series, we cover transporting your dog from Singapore to Portugal during COVID times.
Claudia and Robert had been living together in Singapore for about four years and besides getting married, they also started their little family when they adopted Singapore Special, Dante! Being adopted during COVID times proved nerve-wracking when it came time to move but this little family would always be together, no matter what. Claudia shares their story with helpful insights of how they prepared Dante to make the long journey to Lisbon, Portugal in October 2021. But first a few background questions...
LD: How long were you living in Singapore (including with Dante)? How old is he now?
Claudia: I arrived in Singapore in 2014. I met Robert in Singapore in 2017. He is from Germany and I am from Portugal. We adopted Dante in April 2020. Dante was about 2.5 - 3 months old when we got him. We trained him in English. Now he is 1 year and 9 months old. Dante is now starting to understand Portuguese and German too - he is going to be a trilingual dog!
LD: Why did you choose to do the move yourself in the end rather than use a pet relocator?
Claudia: The costs were considerably cheaper when compared to a pet relocation agency. Also, we just felt safer, secured, and calmer having everything under us. Nobody will care more for Dante than us.
LD: Was this the first time you have ever moved with a pet?
Claudia: Yes, it was the first time we moved with a pet. I grew up with dogs and cats but they were my family’s, so they did not move with me when I moved overseas. Robert is a first-time dog owner and loving it.
LD: Did the COVID situation have any effect on the move?
Claudia: We were extremely concerned about getting COVID-19 before the trip. Two weeks before the flight, we decided to “self-isolate” in order to make sure we could travel with Dante. In the case we did get sick and were unable to travel, we would have to alter all the pet relocation documents and the flight ticket. This would be an extremely difficult scenario - especially because the space in the hold per flight was extremely limited: 3 pets per flight (with Lufthansa). It caused us a lot of anxiety, but it all worked out in the end.
LD: How easy was it for Dante to adjust to his new home?
Claudia: Once Dante was out of his carrier after the flight, he was easily able to relieve himself at Lisbon airport’s small garden. When he got home, he also ate his food with no problems. He was jet lagged though, sleepy and awake at odd hours.
Before I arrived, I had told my family to not force any interactions and give him as much space as possible. Surprisingly, he warmed up to my family fast. I was expecting him to be in a corner and scared, but he was confident and happy to explore his new surroundings. I was happy to see him so at ease. I kept his routine unchangeable - walking him twice a day and giving him food after his walks. I think that helped too. He is also loving the weather and he stopped being itchy.
LD: We consider pets as our family. But sometimes people get worried and leave their pet behind … What's the one thing you’d like to say to such people so that they would reconsider?
Claudia: We don’t abandon children or the elderly when we need to relocate so why would we abandon our pets? They are part of the family. A lot of pets die of heartache when they get transferred to new homes. Please don’t abandon your best friend(s) when it gets inconvenient, they are always there for you in good and bad times.
Thank you, Claudia and Robert, Dante is one lucky dog and we agree dogs/pets are family and a lifetime responsibility. We wish you all the best for your new life altogether living in Europe!
Following Claudia shares their relocating experience in her own words, everything you need to know on how they prepared Dante and themselves for this journey of moving together: https://dantedogtravels.blogspot.com/2021/10/everything-you-need-to-know-about.html
For an easy reference 8 Steps to Bring Your Dog from Singapore to Portugal (EU) visit https://dantedogtravels.blogspot.com/2021/10/8-steps-to-bring-your-dog-from.html
We hope these stories help keep more furry family members together so no one is left behind. You can read more in the series here:
SERIES ONE: MOVING BETWEEN SINGAPORE & THE UK
SERIES TWO: MOVING BETWEEN THE USA & SINGAPORE
SERIES THREE: MOVING BETWEEN AUSTRALIA & SINGAPORE
SERIES FOUR: MOVING BETWEEN SINGAPORE & GERMANY
SERIES FIVE: MOVING TO SOUTH KOREA FROM SINGAPORE
SERIES SIX: MOVING TO PORTUGAL FROM SINGAPORE
SERIES SEVEN: MOVING TO THE UK FROM HONG KONG
SERIES EIGHT: MOVING TO NEW ZEALAND FROM SINGAPORE
SERIES NINE: MOVING BETWEEN SINGAPORE AND SCOTLAND
Help us keep families together! If you have a moving story you would like to share please email us at: customerservice@loyald.com