“Don’t Forget the Dog: How to Move to France with Your Pet”

My dog Percy is my family, yep, a fur baby, and was an essential part of me planning my move to France. Of course there was no way on earth he wasn’t coming with me, but I did worry about getting a pet passport, how he would travel on such a long journey, and how would I manage without doggy day care! Luckily, France is very dog friendly. It is rare to find a cafe, bar or restaurant who won’t accept your furry friend, and even better, a bowl of water nearly always arrives with your basket of bread. Having a pup with separation anxiety, this of course was a big reassurance. My first step in getting him France ready was to visit my local vet in the UK and get him a pet passport and his Rabies jabs. Wherever you live in the world, this is your first step, and make sure you don’t leave this until the last minute. You will most probably find that your pet will need worming medication or injections too, and often there is a time window on how far in advance your pet can have this before travelling. I have had to postpone a trip overseas by a month, by not planning this with my veterinarian, an expensive mistake I won’t repeat again. Good news if you are moving here from the UK, USA or Australia - there is no quarantine period, as long as your dog has the following; Microchip identification Valid rabies vaccination Official veterinary health certificate 21-day waiting period after rabies vaccination I would highly recommend registering your pet with the local Vet as soon as you arrive. Living in Southern France they often recommend Leishmaniosis a disease transmitted by sandflies, which are present in parts of Southern Europe, including areas of France (especially Mediterranean regions like Occitanie and Provence). Dogs can become infected if they are bitten by a sandfly. Tick and flea collars are also essential, with tick season typically starting in March until June. I invested in some super handy little tick tools that help you hook the horrors out from the root. I have started to use collars that also prevent mosquito bites, just like us, they can suffer from these pests too. Little Percy took a little while to adapt, as did I. The journey and disorientation and a new home made him lethargic, on edge and exhausted, however, making sure he had his usual blanket and toys and some lovely long walks in beautiful countryside made him settle within a few days, much to my relief. It took me much longer! The French call dogs ‘toutou’ which translates as cute dog, and you will often be approached by locals, affectionately saying this to you and your pup. I adore it and it also makes me feel very proud ;-) I like to believe that Percy is now bilingual having lived nearly all his life here, and funnily enough ‘viens ici, dépêche-toi’ (come here, hurry up) seems to work a bit better than me shouting like a mad thing. Bringing your dog isn’t hard, it just takes a bit of planning, and should be high up there on your relocation checklist.