Traveling with your dog in the USA
What is it like to travel by plane to the USA with your dog? The United States: a dog-friendly destination for a vacation with your dog? In this article, discover the adventures of Thomas, Laura and their two huskies!
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Some time ago, I told you about the adventures of Thomas, Laura and their two huskies. They were on the GR20 and faced the heat wave in Corsica. These high temperatures got the better of their adventure, forcing them to turn around. Loukia, their husky dog grazed heat stroke so for the safety of the whole family, they had to give up doing this mythical hike.
Barely returned from Corsica, they packed their bags to cross the Atlantic and set off to conquer North America: USA, Canada and their ultimate goal: Alaska. Thomas had promised his dog, Diablo, to take him to see the land of his ancestors. He kept his word and even took his girlfriend Laura and his dog Loukia in his luggage.
Last July, the four of them took off for Los Angeles with their suitcases and a few pennies in their pockets. The ultimate goal of the trip: to reach Alaska. Before discovering their American roadtrip, discover or re-discover the Wouafement Bien portrait of Diablo and Thomas And the one of Loukia and Laura.
Flying with a dog
To reach Los Angeles, they had to fly with their dog. It was the first time the two huskies had flown. Before departure, Thomas and Laura took them to the vet to do a complete check-up, check that all their vaccines were up to date on their passports and ask for advice so that the trip goes as well as possible for the dogs. Their vet prescribed them a mild sedative to soothe them during the trip.
The family of adventurers arrived 3 hours early at the airport to check in their luggage and their two dogs. To board the plane, each dog must travel in a cage approved with the IATA standard (International Air Transport Association). They had chosen to embark on the Air France company. They were amazed at the welcome they received at the airport. They were very stressed about having to put their doggies through this trip, but the Air France staff explained to them in detail how to go about the trip for their two dogs. They were very well taken care of. They travel in an air-conditioned part of the plane where the plane's staff can intervene in the event of a problem. They don't travel in the middle of the baggage compartment...
Any dog boarding a plane must have all its vaccines up to date: you will need to present its health record when you board. For travel within the European Union, they must be in possession of a European passport and identified by a microchip. Same thing for North America.
Once all the formalities were completed, the staff embarked the two dogs: the adventure began to take shape! Thousands of questions raced through Thomas and Laura's head: is it a good idea to go so far away for so long? is it a good idea to put our dogs through this trip? are we going to know how to manage there?… Flying with a dog always a little worried, especially when it's the first time. I also remember having exchanged a few messages with Thomas when they were leaving. Indeed, he was not leading off… And I understand that. I would have been even worse than him...
Traveling to the United States with a dog
The flight was long but went very well. Once in Los Angeles, Thomas and Laura couldn't wait to find their two dogs. The dogs do not parade on the conveyor belt among the suitcases... They wait for their masters in a space called “live animals”. Impossible to take them out of the cage in the airport, it is completely prohibited. Before that, you still have to go through customs control. A very long wait when all you want to do is release your dog and hold him in your arms...
And then, the long-awaited moment finally arrives: here they are all 4 reunited. Everyone takes out their dog and reality falls on them “Damn, we are in Los Angeles with our two dogs!!!!”… The dogs had a huge need to pee and smelled quite strongly of kerosene…
Priority number one when leaving the airport: find a hotel room to spend the night. They had given themselves a maximum of two days to rent a car and set off for the Far North by road trip mode. They were super mega impressed to be all four there. They had been dreaming of this adventure for a long time… so once in the privacy of their hotel room: between stress, deep happiness and exhaustion, it was Niagara Falls, according to what Thomas told me. As I understand them….
After a few struggles, they finally bought a car and set off: Sacramento, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver,…. to their final destination: Anchorage, the capital of Alaska. In 3 months of adventure, they traveled 30 km!!! Left with a small budget, they bivouacked in their car for almost 3 months. They always felt safe with their two furry friends. Loukia even developed a strong defensive behavior reacting very quickly as soon as someone approached their car.
They visited all dog-friendly national parks present on their route. In some, the presence of dogs is only tolerated in viewpoint car parks.
Thomas told me that in the states, living with a dog seemed easy. In cities, there are caniparks everywhere. These are enclosed spaces suitable for masters and dogs where you can let your dog go freely so that he can have fun with his fellow dogs. there seem to be many more dogs than in France in the cities. They also amazed by the size of the dogs. Of course, you come across the same breeds as here, but there are also breeds more suited to the climate of the far north. They are huge dogs: “Diablo looked like a weakling next to these Nordic dogs”.
The adventures of our four adventurers don't end there… Remember, I told you that their ultimate goal was to reach Alaska. To discover the rest of their adventures and especially the video of their journey, quickly discover episode 2 of their trip “Diablo and Thomas' Crazy Dream – #Episode 2: Alaska, Canada and Back"
In the meantime, here are some photos of their lovely adventure.