How We Moved 3 Dogs to Spain for Half the Price of a Professional Quote
In November 2023, with our move to Spain looming, I opened an email that made my stomach drop.
It was a quote from a professional pet relocation service. We have three dogs—including a senior and a giant breed—and the logistics of moving them over 6,500 miles felt impossible. I wanted help. I wanted someone to tell me it would be okay.
The quote was for $16,842.
When we added it all up—flights, vet bills, crates, and the service fee—the "easy" route was going to cost us over $32,000.
We are not wealthy people. We are normal pet parents who just wanted to keep our family together. We realized we had two choices: put a huge dent in our life savings, or figure it out ourselves.
We Chose to Figure It Out
We spent the next four months drowning in USDA paperwork, measuring crates down to the inch, and learning more about airplane footwell space than we ever wanted to know. We drove from Colorado to New Jersey in a blizzard to catch a specific Air France flight. We learned about the "10-day ticking clock" of health certificates the hard way.
It was stressful. It was exhausting. But we did it.
And we did it for $15,842 less than the professional route.
Why I Wrote The 2026 Roadmap
I realized that there are thousands of people just like us—staring at a terrifying quote or a confusing government website, wondering if they have to leave their pets behind because they can't afford $16,000 or figure out the rules.
I wrote The 2026 DIY International Pet Relocation Roadmap so you don't have to spend 100 hours researching like I did. This guide is from our experiences, not generated by AI or general advice anyone can find online.
What is Inside the Guide:
It is 130+ pages of the exact checklists, timelines, and strategies we used. It covers:
- The 120-Day Timeline: Exactly when to book the vet, the flight, and the USDA endorsement.
- The "No-Go" List: Which airlines ban your breed and which aircraft have dangerous cargo holds.
- The Real Costs: A transparent breakdown of every dollar we spent.
- The 10-Day Sprint: How to survive the final paperwork push without losing your mind.
🗺️ Free Tool: Pet-Friendly Flight Map
Not ready to buy the full guide yet? No problem. Start by visualizing your route.
One of the hardest parts of the move is finding which airlines actually accept pets in the hold. We built a free interactive map to help you see the major transatlantic routes.
➜ View the Interactive MapFor Those Who Need a Copilot
Because I know how lonely this process feels, I also released a Premium Edition today. It includes the guide, plus direct access to me via a dedicated email address.
If you purchase the Premium Edition, you get:
- Priority Email Support: You can email me when you're stuck on a form or scared about a layover.
- A 45-Minute Strategy Call: We can look at your route together.
- A Final Check-In: I'll verify your plan 30 days before you fly.
I’m not a corporation. I’m just a dog mom who has done this four times and wants to help you get your pack home safely.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing!