Gruia Hemodog’s adventures relocating to the UK

I`ve recently moved to the UK and I arranged to bring my dog – Gruia with me, although many people would question why I didn`t leave him in Bucharest, that it would`ve been more comfortable and easier for me to move around, be more flexible, find rent faster, etc. Fair enough, good arguments, but I am not a fan of comfort, I prefer the satisfaction I get after hard work. Also, Gruia is not any dog, he is MY dog, and not just any dog – he is MY HERO. We are a team and he helped me overcome some tough moments in my life, so I don`t see myself without him, no matter how difficult it would be to relocate with a pet, especially one that people are so afraid of due to the bad reputation. Little do they know how silly he is in reality or how many lives he has saved in 5 years.

The people who know me are already used to my optimism and my beliefs. When I started this journey, I included Gruia in every step of the process, because I don`t believe in problems, only in solutions. It may be harder, but not impossible to find the perfect place for both of us and the satisfaction of not feeling lonely in a new country is worth all the effort. Therefore, I braced myself with a lot of patience, a lot of honesty and I started looking for a place to rent in the heart of London, hoping to find the one landlord who would accept my dog in the house without hesitation. I started describing Gruia before I described myself, just to make it clear from the beginning and to avoid misunderstandings. The strategy was successful and I found the perfect rent for both of us.

Gruia had to travel separately, due to the airlines that don`t accept pets flying to the UK at the moment, so I had to arrange for him to be brought by a special pet transportation company. The best part about this arrangement was that I had double guarantee that the papers were filled in correctly and he wouldn`t have any issues while crossing borders. The vet made sure he had all the vaccines, the deworming and anti-fleas treatments on time, and the transportation company double-checked the accuracy of the information due to their experience while passing through multiple countries. After 3 days he arrived and we started our own life journey together in a new country.

The next step was to visit the vet here, register him and discuss about the appropriate prevention scheme. I have to admit the talk I had with the vet in Bucharest helped me beforehand, so I already knew what I needed to give him, but it is very important to establish first contact with the vet in the new location and start the communication and trust building, which is very important when it comes to your beloved pets` life. Moreover, it is very convenient to enable your vet to take the responsibility of sending you notifications for the regular prevention treatments you have to do in order to protect your dearest from the hidden dangers in the environment. Plus, pet insurance is one of the best things you can do for your pet and your pocket in the UK!

So I would summarize the steps you need to take for traveling with your pet:
1 – Visit the veterinarian at least a month before you leave and make sure the vaccinations and prevention treatments are valid for your departure date. The vet will give you a list of products you need to have with you before you register at the other vet, products like shampoo, cleaning antiseptic tissues, Band-Aids, anti-nausea pills, anti-spastic pills and other things your pet might need during traveling.
2 – Book the seat with the transportation company – also one month before departure date, to make sure they have crates available, as well as send the documents to double-check before departure
3 – When you look for rooms to rent, make sure they know they need to accept pets. If you haven`t found the room before the pet arrived, there are various kennels where you can arrange the accommodation while you take care of the house hunting.
4 – Find a vet and register your pet as soon as possible, sign up for an insurance plan and let the vet take on the responsibility of reminding you about appointments, due dates, vaccinations, etc.
5 – Enjoy your new life and adventures!
Remember, there is no problem without at least one solution, even if this means working harder, but the satisfaction is totally worth it. So never leave your pet behind when traveling! You will thank me once you settle in.
If you have more questions feel free to post a comment or drop me a line here!