Rescuing a Dog or Cat - the Story of Baladi

Rescuing a Dog or Cat - the Story of Baladi

Posted by Susan Smith on on 18th Feb 2019

Here is a story about Baladi's rescue from one of our pet travelers.

We hear from many of our visitors who travel worldwide to find special places and people. Little do they expect to fall in love with a perfect stranger with 4 legs looking for someone to love them too. Here is one such story.

My experience started when traveling in Egypt, I found a puppy about a month and a half old living on the streets alone. I did not have a home myself at the time and was not at all ready for a puppy but what could I do? 

In Cairo, we are often told you need to close your eyes to the amount of street dogs and cats that roam around malnourished and mistreated. These mixed breed dogs and cats are called Baladi and all too often seen as pests instead of living beings. I saw this little puppy following person after person bagging for food and crying in the middle of the street when it was rejected. 

Since that day that little puppy has grown into a 6 month old puppy who  has traveled around Egypt and also Canada! I have used pet passports from PetTravelStore.com to get her to Canada for a lovely holiday and back to Egypt to continue our travels together. 

She is truly a traveling pet. It is not easy with a dog that is a mixed breed and continues to sprout bigger and bigger everyday! But Pet Travel Store has helped us a lot to make sure she is able to travel along side me. We have been side by side since she found me and I couldn't imagine having to leave her behind. 

Together we have been to much of Egypt including the Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea and even the Black and White Sahara ! (Desert) How with the Pet Passport I was able to show her my family in Canada Ontario. They welcomed my Egyptian street dog (Baladi) into their homes and are very excited to see her adventures continue in Egypt. It was so great to see her be able to have a break from living on the 7th floor in an apartment in Cairo and be able to have a yard and stretch her legs everyday! I had no idea how fast she is. My hope is to help more dogs and cats to have this future as more people realize how easy it can be to travel with a pet due to helpful websites such as Pet Travel Store.

So what will you do when you see that dog or cat living day to day on the streets in a foreign country and fall in love at first sight? First, ask around to be sure that the dog or cat does not belong to someone. if there is no collar and tag, likely the animal has been abandoned and is trying to stay alive off of the kindness of those around them.

Second, you need to consider the regulations to import your pet to your home country. (you can find pet import regulations here) If you are from the United States or Canada, the rules are not difficult. If you are from the EU and you are visiting a high-rabies country, then it will take a minimum of 4 months to fulfill the requirements.If you are from Australia, the requirements are even more stringent. 

Because there will be a wait time after rabies vaccination for every country prior to entering (except Canada), make sure that you have time to prepare your pet for travel. If you have someone who will care for them until requirements are met, that is great. If you do not have friends or relatives nearby, ask about rescue organizations or kenneling facilities.

Be sure and take your dog or cat to a licensed veterinarian and have them microchip, vaccinate for rabies and treat your pet for any parasites or conditions it may have. 

Know that if you do not return to the country to claim ownership of your forever friend, there may be additional requirements and import tax will be due in many countries; however, your dog or cat can fly as unaccompanied air cargo. 

All said, the chance you give a dog or cat to live a life well fed, loved and cared for is priceless. Just be sure you know how to make it happen before you start falling in love.

More information on rescuing a street dog or cat here.