all the pet relocation companies quoted me around 7k to take my german shepherd from the united states to saudi arabia. I am a student so I only have a few grand for my whole move. I don’t undestand if I get him in the cargo on my plane, how will he survive a 20+ flight with no food, water or potty breaks? would i be able to take him out during layovers? I am super stressed and lost about this whole process and would appreciate any guidance on the matter. Thank you!
he is a german shepherd, male, 3 years old, weighs 82 lbs
You don’t have to rely on relocation companies for dog shuffling, just pick an airline that has a forgiving pet policy and break your trip up into two or more legs. It is more costly but that’s the price of pet ownership. You’d have to check on the requirements for importation to specific countries too but so long as they are old enough, are spayed and have the right vaccinations (and are out of a quarantine period, depending on where you go), you should be fine. Another poster linked to the U.S. agricultural agency and that website has all the info necessary.
I flew with my jack russell from the bay area to georgia with turkish airlines and it was pretty painless. She was in-cabin but we didn’t have relief breaks or anything, so I imagine it wasn’t the best time for her since I withheld water for the first half of the trip. If I had to do it again, I’d probably stop over in a european mediterranean city for mine and the dog’s sake.