fatcat65

glad your back safe and sound and all is well.
Two weeks time and i'll be home too.... can't wait! Upset at having to leave my hubby and oldest son for a few months though but it will be worth it in the end.
Get plenty of sleep and eat all that yummy food you've missed whilst being away!
xx

windsong

Poppycat - I was raised in Edinburgh and it is one place I am considering returning to - in addition to Somerset in England

If you and doggie flew on Continental what role did Pets in Jets play in all this? Are they the ones who took care of all the DFREA paperwork?

I have two dogs and two cats that are all returning with me. I thought of going on the Queen Mary but if I hear enough reports about doggies and kitties doing okay on the plane, I may go that way. I'm just not sure I would be allowed to take four animals on the same plane with me. I ought to call and find out.

poppycat

Hi windsong. Pets on Jets are the clearing agents for UK Customs @ Manchester Airport and, although they don't clear animals for Continental (Continental use a company called PBS), all dogs, cats and ferrets arriving at Manchester Airport are ultimately picked up from the Pets on Jets facility. Pets on Jets don't do the DEFRA paperwork - you can either do it yourself (as I chose to do) or, if you're using a pet transportation company, that company will do the paperwork (or at least talk you through it to ensure the process is carried out in the correct order). However, it's very easy to complete the paperwork yourself; personally I didn't think employing the services of a pet transportation company was worth the money. As for my own involvement with Pets on Jets, even although they are not the clearing agents for Continental Airlines, while I was still State-side I contacted them during the final stages of the process to double-check I had crossed all the 'T's' and dotted all the 'I's' and they told me they'd be happy to review all my paperwork to ensure everything was in order prior to my arrival. I scanned and emailed everything to them. Also, I was travelling solo with heavy luggage, and when I mentioned that to them they very kindly offered to meet me on arrival at the airport and take me first to Servisair to collect the Release paperwork for my dog, and then drive me to their facility to pick up my dog. Further, they offered to drive me to Scotland for a nominal fee, so my journey was effectively door-to-door (from the airport direct to my sister's house).

windsong

Thank you, Poppycat. That's a great help to me

I haven't started the DFREA paperwork yet as I have a while to go but considering starting it this year. I must admit to being a bit intimidated by the whole process but it sounds as if it isn't too bad - not just the paperwork but the shots for the pets, the tests - the whole works.

PS - How does doggie seem to like the UK so far

SomersetGirl

Welcome Home Poppycat and Barb!!

Your dreams came true

poppycat

TY, SomersetGirl.

Windsong...if I had any advice to give, it would be to familiarize your pets with being in a crate (if they're not already comfortable with that), and acquaint yourself with the DEFRA procedure well before you need to begin the process. Please don't be intimidated, it's very, very straight forward, I promise! Even if you're taking more than one pet, it's the same procedure so don't let that put you off. It's not such a bureaucratic nightmare as it may first appear.

My Golden has settled really well and is having great fun exploring his new surroundings. He suffered absolutely no ill-effects from his transatlantic journey. When I picked him up from Pets on Jets he was running around the office wagging his tail, carrying his leash in his mouth. I think we tend to bestow human traits on our pets and assume our fears are their fears too, which isn't the reality of how they function. They pick up energy from us, positive and negative, and that influences their behavior, but they live in the moment and don't anticipate possible future problems the same as we do.I'm sure your pets will be fine. As long as they're with you, they'll be happy as larks.

windsong

lol! Thank you, Poppycat. You have made me feel much more at ease about the process. I think one of my concerns was that I might miss an important part of the DEFRA process and half way across the Atlantic, someone would check my papers and find an error and refuse entry to my pets. Now I know that there is an organization I can turn to in order to make sure I have dotted all the i's, I should be okay

And just think of all those new bushes and trees, doggie gets to sniff

fatcat65

Okay so who's the next one to head home?

Gabgoeshome

Isn't it you ? lol

Beedubya

It's David (and his cat) flying from Canada to Brixham, Devon.

fatcat65

Whens David going? Anyone else going back from Calgary to manchester on the 12th March? I'm getting really excited now i can hardly contain myself!!

cheers

David and his cat are flying back on Tuesday.

Guinness

HI
I am new to the forum, anyone planning on moving from Toronto back to the UK???

fatcat65

Welcome Guinness, when do you go back? Where abouts in the UK are you flying into?

Guinness

HI Fatcat65
Not sure when the move is going to happen, we are overwhelmed right now. We have 2 cats and 2 dogs that we have not even started the DEFRA process with. It will more than likely be next Spring. But we are considering mabye Harrogate or somewhere else close to the dales
The first step was telling my Parents, they are extatic to say the least!