Like a lot of dog moms these days, I have my pup certified as an emotional support animal. His name is Charlie Brown and he makes my days so much happier. I typically bring him with me when I travel domestically but have always been very weary of taking him on international trips. It just sounded too complicated and I didn’t want to worry about him having to relieve himself on a long flight. This past summer that all changed when I got some encouragement from a couple I met that travel often with their dog back and forth from Europe. After some careful research and a few phone calls, I had it all figured out. Here are the steps I took to travel stress free internationally with my ESA:

First and most importantly we called the airline we were flying to see what their requirements were for emotional support animals. All airlines are different and some are more difficult than others when traveling with a pet. American Airlines was very accommodating. We needed four things:

1. A letter from a mental health professional- the letter needs to be dated within a year of travel and cannot expire while traveling.

2. Airline specific ESA form- American Airlines had a specific form that needed to be filled out by a mental health professional in addition to the emotional support letter. Most airlines have one of these.

3. A country specific health certificate- this certificate will need to be filled out by a USDA certified veterinarian. You will need to call your vet and make sure they are USDA certified and well versed in this process. Most vets are. I go to Banfield and they were very familiar with the process. Note: The vet will also need your flight information and the address of where you will be staying on your trip.

4. USDA certificate- after your veterinarian fills out the health certificate, you will need to go to your local USDA to get an official stamp. An appointment is required and I highly recommend calling them before the veterinary visit. Some vaccines need to be done a certain amount of days prior to your trip and they will explain all of that to you.  Note: your dog does not need to go to USDA with you.

The most important thing is to get organized and get all the information you need from the airline, veterinarian and USDA. The last thing you want to have to deal with is not being able to get on your flight. What a nightmare that would be!

Okay now here are some tips for when you actually get on the flight with your dog:

1. Bring one days worth of your dogs food and snacks on the flight with you. If any of it needs to be refrigerated you can ask the stewardess if they can accommodate you. We took the safe route and brought kibble, although our dog usually eats food that needs to be refrigerated.
2.  Let them drink water, but not too much! It’s important to stay hydrated on a flight but moderation is key. This will lessen the chance of an accident on your flight. Don’t forget your collapsible water bowl. Note: Take advantage of any pet relief areas you have on your layovers.
3. Bring piddle pads, disinfecting wipes and dog waste bags. My dog did not use the potty on our flight but these three things would have come in handy if he did.

So that’s it! It took some effort but it was well worth it. I was happy and Charlie Brown got to live his best life in Greece.