Reviews
The Full Story
We treat every pet as if it's our own. As expats and world travellers, our own pets have accompanied us on many journeys across four continents. They've travelled in-cabin, as extra luggage and as cargo. We know how challenging and worrying flying with pets can be! Vaccinations, records, documents, pet passports, permits, licences, endorsements, legalisations, stamps...it can be mind boggling!
We typically spend 25-35 hours working on every pet relocation assignment to ensure that everything goes smoothly, and we monitor every flight until your pet arrives safely back in your arms. Our reviews mean a lot to us, we love it when our clients let us know that we've done a great job and we really appreciate the time our clients took to write such lovely reviews! We hope you enjoy reading them as much as we do!
You can find all of our reviews at Trustpilot.
Date of experience: March 11, 2023
Original review - Trustpilot
"I was fairly shocked to learn how much is involved in meeting the requirements to bring your pet into the UK from the U.S. I could never have managed it without Elaine. She provided comprehensive lists of all that was needed and was endlessly patient and understanding when l I struggled to get everything together on my end. I contacted Elaine only three weeks before our move so there was a lot to accomplish in a short period of time. Elaine made it all goes as smoothly as possible. I highly recommend her service."
Date of experience: March 22, 2023
Original review - Trustpilot
"Elaine was very good with our Maggie. She gave us excellent instructions and let us know every step. We felt very confident that our Maggie was well taken care of during an experience that could have been rather traumatic for a dog. I highly recommend her."
Date of experience: March 21, 2023
Original review - Trustpilot
"We were extremely nervous about the process of moving our cats. Elaine and Martin were very creative in giving us alternate solutions, being patient with our many questions, and setting up reasonable solutions that fit within our budget. They were super reassuring, very responsive and gave us lots of updates and pictures during the process. Everything went super smooth, and we were delighted with the outcome. Don't hesitate to reach out for help. This is a very complicated process and Pet Relocation Intl knows the process inside and out! Highly recommended."
Date of experience: March 16, 2023
Original review - Trustpilot
"Elaine and PRI were amazing during our move back to the US from Costa Rica. From our initial meeting until we retrieved our dog from cargo, she was in constant communication and kept us updated. I couldnt have asked for a better experience moving our pet safely from one country to another. Her experience and true love for animals is evident during the entire process."
Date of experience: March 6, 2023
Original review - Trustpilot
"I love Elaine and PRI, getting Truffle from India to Costa Rica seemed impossible but Elaine made it happen. My family and I cannot THANK her enough.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. My family and I did not have to worry about truffle’s travel at all, she did it all and we knew truffle was in safe hands!!!"
Date of experience: February 20, 2023
Original review - Trustpilot
"Highly recommend. First off, I will say, while dropping my dog off, there was someone else waiting to drop off their dog through another company, and the experiences the other dog owner and I had were as dofferent as night and day! I had kind, patient help that was there early, prepared, made adjustments, stayed until the end. The other pet parent almost missed the flight their person was so late, had to call their emergency line just to reach someone, and when they got there, they didn't have anything they needed (we gave them some of our supplies for closing the kennel because we had extra!) The person who assisted me reached out the day before, made sure I knew what to do, where to go,what to expect, and invited me to reach out at any time with any questions, and made sure I had all their contact information in advance.
I can be a little stingy, so I hesitated to hire someone, but by the end of my experience, it was clear hiring Elaine was money well-spent. We moved across the Atlantic - USA to Italy - and I was very worried how my dog (German Shepherd) would do. Given his size, there were a lot of limitations, many of which I never would have even thought of. To top it off, the airport we were supposed to fly into issued a pet embargo just a few weeks before our flight. Elaine handled everything and gave me options and descriptions so I fully understood those options. Her recommendations were invaluable.
I could never have managed all the paperwork, but Elaine was calm and experienced and handled everything like a true professional. When we couldn't find a vet appointment, she went above and beyond to scour the area for anything available and we were able to get in. Her contacts in each area were kind and communicative.
Elaine warned me of all possible things my dog might experience having gone through such a move and we dod prepare, but ultimately, it was unnecessary. You would think we just moved down the street! I'm so so glad I hired her."
Date of experience: February 17, 2023
Original review - Trustpilot
"PRI was great and provided several options to find the best pet relocation option for our family. We are very pleased and have already recommended to several others."
Date of experience: December 14, 2022
Original review - Trustpilot
"Pet Relocation International was the best thing to happen to me and my move and my 4-legged kiddo! I would have been lost in the sauce without Elaine and Martin. And Baxton might have been a permanent resident of Germany! (Ok that’s a joke - but what an ordeal!). Moving your pet between governments will be the most stressful part of your move, hands down. PRI did all the heavy lifting before, during, and tons of follow up after! When Germany required paperwork last minute that had never been required before - and kept Baxton until it was completed - Elaine and Martin moved mountains to get him home before his UK requirements expired! They communicated with me minute-by-minute, and I knew that Bax was safe, fed, medicated and in the best hands he could be at the Lufthansa pet facility. I just really can’t say enough about the team at PRI. If you love your fur-kidd, and would only put them in the safest hands possible, then PRI is the only choice. Happy Travels!"
Date of experience: February 9, 2023
Original review - Trustpilot
"Elaine was exceptional at helping to transport our pets from the USA to Spain. She put us at ease with the idea of sending them as cargo with Lufthansa, provided us with detailed instructions on how to prepare, and was always available for our questions. We have a very large dog and a cat that were transported together. As is prone to happen with a trip such as this one, problems came up that would have deterred and discouraged us if we did not have Elaine at the ready with plans b and c. Due to a situation beyond Elaine's and our control, our pets' travel was delayed two days beyond when we were scheduled to fly. She took care of changing their flights and arranging their transportation as the situation developed. We are all together once again and the animals happily resting after their trip. We cannot thank Elaine enough for the guidance, support, and hard work that was put into making our trip work."
Date of experience: February 2, 2023
Original review - Trustpilot
"Elaine was an angel!!! The plan was to move our precious dog as “excess baggage” with a CDC import permit in hand from Malaysia to the US. Well…that didn’t go according to plan (does it ever??) and we panicked and stressed and cried!! What to do? Elaine was referred and she was great!! She assisted, guided and took a very “personal attention” approach. We can strongly recommend her expertise!!"
Date of experience: January16, 2023
Original review - Trustpilot
"Elaine saved us!! We had booked our pets to be transferred by our friends on Lufthansa, on a regular commercial flight from Denver to Dublin. At last minute, 5 days before they were supposed to fly, they told us they couldn't fly from Frankfurt (layover) to Dublin because of the pet embargo. I was panicking, so I reached out to Elaine and she did and amazing work going above and beyond to ensure our pets would fly on time and arrive safely. They are finally home with us. Elaine really cares about the pets and her customers, I recommend PRI 100%"
Date of experience: December 30, 2022
Original review - Trustpilot
"Elaine and PRI helped make our two dogs’ relocation from Costa Rica to the US as seamless and painless as possible! There was excellent communication throughout the process and we received lots of updates and pictures of the dogs as they made their journey. PRI had extremely competitive pricing, awesome flexibility, and great customer service. We were much happier using a smaller, family-owned business, instead of one of the larger companies. PRI is highly recommended! You won’t be disappointed!!"
Date of experience: December 19, 2022
Original review - Trustpilot
"Elaine was fantastic from start to finish! She was always helpful with information, recommendations, and guidance, and she was quite patient, too. Last but definitely not least, the actual chaperone process came off without a hitch!
We higly recommend PRI, and look forward to working with them again in the future.
Thank you, Elaine!"
Date of experience: December 15, 2022
Original review - Trustpilot
"Elaine and PRI helped make our two dogs’ relocation from Costa Rica to the US as seamless and painless as possible! There was excellent communication throughout the process and we received lots of updates and pictures of the dogs as they made their journey. PRI had extremely competitive pricing, awesome flexibility, and great customer service. We were much happier using a smaller, family-owned business, instead of one of the larger companies. PRI is highly recommended! You won’t be disappointed!!"
Date of experience: December 10, 2022
Original review - Trustpilot
"We had an extremely challenging relocation from the UK to Namibia. Therefore, I am so grateful that Elaine and Martin of PRI were there to help us through the entire process as we did not know where to start or what to do in moments of crisis. They talked us through the entire process from making sure the vaccination record was up-to-date & booking blood tests for the dog, to arranging landing permits from the destination state vet. Most importantly, they were available 24/7 via email and mobile phone. Even when I called in the middle of the night with a new challenge, Elaine and Martin were on hand to discuss options. Despite several unexpected hurdles (such as cancelled flights and airline administrative errors), PRI were able to come up with alternative plans and back-up plans almost instantaneously. For example, we arrived at the check-in with our dog (which had been properly booked onto the plane) only to be told by the airline that the booking agent had made a major error and that they could no longer take the dog. Our stress levels were at a maximum because we had to fly that night. I phoned Martin and he immediately set to work. Within a few minutes he had arranged several other options so that we could fly on that night and our dog would be relocated with us. Even if some of these options were not needed, it was fantastic having back-up plans to reduce our stress. PRI made sure that our dog could safely, and with minimal stress to the pet, travel with us, for which we are truly grateful. I would not hesitate to use PRI again since pet relocation is very complicated. Travelling with pets requires flexibility and the ability to maneuver when flights are cancelled or plans are changed. These situations are extremely challenging if one is trying to do this alone, but PRI showed that they have a lot of experience with these challenges and were brilliant in dealing with all the hurdles we faced. Thank you Elaine & Martin!!"
Date of experience: December 01, 2022
Original review - Trustpilot
"Elaine did a great job helping us transport our 2 yr old 50lbs doodle from Denver, Co to Malaga, Spain. She is compassionate, great listener, and knowledgeable. Highly recommend her company for your pet travel needs!"
Date of experience: November 16, 2022
Original review - Trustpilot
"The complexities of getting our large dog from the U.S. to Costa Rica with us went from difficult to nigh impossible when we learned no commercial passenger aircraft that flies to CR can take a 500-series size crate in their hold. Coordinating his travel on a cargo jet, and making sure he didn't get lost in the shuffle, meant Elaine had to be awake at all hours and in contact with scads of folks at the airline, on her team, and beyond. We're most grateful and highly recommend PRI."
Date of experience: October 30, 2022
Original review - Trustpilot
"Was my first time relocating my pet from Singapore to NYC. All the regulations and permits made my head spin, especially when I had to manage all the paperwork with my own personal move. Elaine’s experience made the process so much less nerve wracking - she provided guidance on all documents and certificates needed, while also advising on how we could make our pet’s travel as comfortable as possible! If you’re thinking of hiring PRI - you’re making the right choice. Stop shopping around and go with Elaine and her team."
Date of experience: October 28, 2022
Original review - Trustpilot
"Wow...Against all odds Elaine safely got our pooch to Nairobi,Kenya from Denver. She was in constant communication as she navigated visits to the vet, roadblocks set up by airlines, persuasive conversations with the USDA, interactions with Kenyan animal control... All of this while under a very tight window of time.
She's the real deal!"
Date of experience: October 25, 2022
Original review - Trustpilot
"Elaine at PRI was super-helpful during every step in the process of our move from the US to Europe. She is very knowledgeable about the procedures to get health certificates, booking travel for my dogs. A great person to have in your corner during a very complicated process!"
Date of experience: October 26, 2022
Original review - Truspilot
"ABSOLUTELY PROFESSIONAL EFFICIENCY! Yes, with capital letters!!
We had dire need to fly our 15 year old Maine Coon from USA to Colombia. And also a short deadline.
Our experience with PRI began finding their contact through their Facebook page; we had sent requests to around 5 airlines; none of them were helpful nor efficient in response. The day we reached out to PRI, Elaine responded in minutes (compared with other companies that took over 48 hrs. or didn't even respond to us). Besides fast response, her quote arrived promptly and was highly competitive! Even after comparing with a cargo booking with a recognized airline.
The entire experience was comforting. From answering all of our concerns regarding our cat's needs previous travel day, to accommodating special requests (they picked up our cat at my in-law's home, how amazing is that!); also, reassuring us that they took care of all the required documentation for traveling, which is huge support since we had read contrasting information online.
During travel day, Martin sent us frequent updates, and generous amounts of photographic record of our cat's adventures through airports, customs, immigration, etc.
We are deeply grateful to have found the BEST Pet Relocation company. Our cat is now with us, safe and sound thanks to Martin and Elaine.
Wholeheartedly recommended! Your furry companion will be in the hands of real pet lovers.
Date of experience: October 18, 2022
Original review - Trustpilot
"We needed help moving my cat from the US to Myanmar and had no idea where to start. My fiancé found PRI and we spoke with Elaine and she immediately made me feel relieved with all the valuable information she gave us. She helped us with our short timeline of 2 weeks and got everything squared away with the documentation we needed. Even when I was having a break down about getting the health certification in time- Elaine made sure to check on it and make sure it would be sent the day before travel so I would have no issues. She checked on me and my kitty throughout our travel and for that I am so thankful. Traveling with a pet is extremely stressful but with Elaine’s help it made it a much more bearable process. I will definitely use Pet Relocation International again and I highly recommend them. Elaine is fantastic and she really cares!"
Date of experience: October 21, 2022
Original review - Trustpilot
"Elaine from PRI is the person you want in your corner when relocating with pets. She is so great at communication throughout the process, listening to you and helping you face the challenges head on. She is also very empathetic which is so important during this stressful process. She has good connections and is very quick with her response times! Thank you Elaine!"
Date of experience: October 14, 2022
Original review - Trustpilot
"We needed to relocate our sweet girl from US to Ecuador in October 2022. As a consumer, I wanted to make some conscious decisions by supporting small business community and have the best service for our sweet girl.
PRI not only delivered the best service for us all, but we got the VIP treatment!
The move from Fairbanks, Alaska to Ecuador was not easy and we encountered every problem there was. Thankfully, Elaine from PRI come in rescue! Elaine offered to come to Fairbanks, Alaska and chaperone our girl to Ecuador. We could not ask for a better service!
Elaine helped us prepare our girl's paperwork, and made sure that the move would be stress free. And it was! Elaine communicated with us throughout the whole process. Elaine is supper passionate about pets, she is carrying and loving!
I highly recommend PRI services to anybody. If you want to make a difference and support small business and want the best care for your pet, use Elaine's services! PRI is fantastic and the best!"
"The best pet relocation service!"
"So happy I had Elaine to help me with this!"
Date of experience: September 15, 2022
Original review - Trustpilot
"I moved 2 large dogs and a cat from South Africa to Canada and having never done this before I was alarmed at the hoops Elaine had to jump through to get my animals to me. She was always calm and kept an anxious "mother" calm as well no matter what the airlines or government obstacles were.
I am so grateful I opted to use Elaine's services as everything was done for me and now I have my pets with me. Everything from they were collected in South Africa to when they were delivered to me here in Canada has gone so well and Elaine kept me updated at all times.
I would recommend PRI to anyone who needs to relocate their furbabies"
"Pet Relocation International ROCKS!"
Date of experience: September 07, 2022
Original review - Trustpilot
"We worked with Elaine and PRI to bring over our 2 cats from Boston to Singapore.
Elaine was absolutely wonderful! She handheld us from day one and ensured that she kept us informed and updated at every stage.
Elaine made sure that every "I" was dotted and every "T" was crossed, and the transfer across many continents and seas happened smoothly and seamlessly.
I am happy to recommend PRI to anyone who needs to transport their pets safely across the world."
"Elaine was amazing at organising our move"
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Date of experience: August 24, 2022
Original review: Trustpilot
"Elaine was amazing at organising our move with two Labradors and a cat from UK to Costa Rica, she took care of everything from all of the necessary documentation to booking our flights. Elaine made what was initially anticipated to be a stressful time a lot more relaxed, checking in and confirming everything with us at all times. She even went the extra mile to personally organise our transfer from CR airport to our accommodation, ensuring everything went smoothly.
We wouldn’t have known where to start if it wasn’t for Elaine and PRI, she definitely puts a lot of effort into making your move to go as smoothly as possible and takes care of everything.
Highly recommend PRI, 5* and more all the way! "
Date of experience: August 08, 2022
Original review: Trustpilot
"Elaine at PRI was fantastic to work with. I used her service to ship my dog from San Jose, Costa Rica to Dallas, USA. She was empathetic, kind, understanding, prompt and took great care of our dog.
There was a mixup with my dog's vaccination and she immediately arranged for her to get vaccinated and all set for her trip. After my dog had arrived safely back in the States, she checked in to see if she was doing ok.
I highly recommend PRI. I have used one of the other popular pet shipping services to Costa Rica but the reason I would choose Elaine over them is because of her personalized attention and empathy."
Date of experience: July 13, 2022
Original review: Trustpilot
"Elaine moved our 2 laboradors from Costa Rica to the US and expertly managed the whole process from booking flights, coordinating pre-travel vet visits, and ensuring we met customs/paperwork requirements.
She sent us photos of them happily playing at their temporary homestay and gave us real time updates on where they were during their relocation process to put our minds at ease. Elaine truly cares for the well being of your pets and is dedicated to making sure they arrive safe and sound!"
Date of experience: June 29, 2022
Original review: Trustpilot
"Elaine was just wonderful in guiding us throughout the whole process, always communicating the next step and very proactive. She works great with other clearing agencies.
At the last minute she went out of her way and performed a miracle and got our doggie back home to South Africa all the way from the USA
I would highly recommend her and would certainly use PRI again if the need arise."
Date of experience: August 25, 2022
Original review: Trustpilot
"Elaine was most helpful getting us through a situation that is stressful on the people involved even when all goes according to plan. Our schedule and plan changes had nothing to do with the pets travel arrangements but were due to us not having our visas in time to make our original travel date.
Elaine was able to facilitate an expedited reissue of the USDA certificate, coordinate getting the pets in for the needed vet checks and parasite treatments and get us set up with a company that could pick the pets up from where we were staying, board them for a couple days and then get them checked in for their flights.
Once in our new home in Portugal Elaine kept us apprised of our pets well being and movements through the transport until their arrival."
Date of experience: June 20, 2022
Original review: Trustpilot
"Elaine with PRI was amazing. We had a difficult situation (very large dogs, multiple states, and a time crunch) but Elaine is seriously a professional.
Elaine told us exactly what we needed to do, what documents we needed, and when we needed to do them, all the while scheduling appointments for us, and keeping us calm throughout the entire process.
The prices are reasonable, and my giant yellow labs made it safely to Costa Rica. She was in contact with us the entire time and we felt confident, despite never having shipped our pets before.
If you want great service from someone who genuinely cares about your pets, and is extremely knowledgeable and professional about the whole process, use her!"
Date of experience: July 21, 2022
Original review: Trustpilot
"Elaine and Martin were super patient with me throughout the entire process of relocating my dog from Costa Rica to the U.S….between my anxiety for his overall well-being, the potential heatwaves, and more, they helped clarify all my doubts / hesitations.
In my case, “anything that could go wrong, will” was true as I had some issues with the airline and them not accepting some of my documents / cage size (which can happen!! Flexibility is key with these processes), but Elaine and Martin were super fast in jumping in and helping to resolve these issues, even super late at night when I was picking up my pup from O’Hare airport in Chicago. For example, the airline decided to randomly change their protocol and asked for my dog to be checked in the day before his flight, instead of a few hours before, and PRI took care of it and even had my dog over for a sleepover that night, to ensure he was well taken care of before his flight. Great service!!"
Date of experience: July 04, 2022
Original review: Trustpilot
"I totally recommend Pet Relocation International. I recently visited Thailand in April. After some time I decided to permanently live here (retired military). The biggest obstacle was finding a company that could relocate my Golden Retriever Simba. I felt lost as many companies were either too expensive, too complicated, or both. That’s when Elaine contacted me. She made the whole process super easy and compared to other companies she charged way less.
During the process she constantly emailed me/messaged me to keep me updated. She was able to get all of the documents (a lot is an understatement!). She coordinated with pet movers here as well and had my dog transported to my house here in Thailand which is about 1 1/2 hrs away from the main airport. I’m now finally at peace knowing my dog made it.
Recommended 10/10! If it’s needed again I will definitely use PRI again!"
Date of experience: May 18, 2022
Original review: Trustpilot
"I needed to relocate my high anxiety dog from US to EU in April 2022 and I was struggling to find the best option to transport my dog safely. I was really stressing over lack of options to do this in the best timing within my budget.
Thank Goodness Elaine from Pet Relocation International came in rescue! Elaine was extremely empathetic, resourceful and provided a few options for me until she found a great option for both my schedule and for my dog. She helped me prepare the documents and made sure everything would go smoothly by contacting the airline multiple times. I don't know how I would have done this without Elaine and Martin's guidance and support. They are very experienced in traveling and pet relocation which reassured me that everything will work out in the end.
Navigating pet relocation through ever changing airline requirements are not easy and I am so glad I used their help and service. It went so smooth that my dog didn't even notice she had moved to another country! I will highly recommend their service for anyone who is looking for options to travel their pets at ease"
Date of experience:August 24, 2022
Original review: Facebook
"Elaine was amazing at organising our move with two Labradors and a cat all the way from UK to Costa Rica, taking care of everything from all the paperwork to booking the flights. 100% recommended!!"
Date of experience: May 11, 2022
Original review: Facebook
"Elaine is just the best!! We relocated our dog Maisie to Costa Rica. Elaine sorted everything with great professionalism and her knowledge is amazing! We then moved back to the UK and she arranged everything. I tried a few pet relocation companies but they were not a patch on Elaine and PRI.
Elaine communicates well and timely and is so professional in her dealings. Don’t go anywhere else - her prices are very competitive and attention to detail are hard to beat. Don’t trust your pet with anyone else!!"
Date of experience: May 11, 2022
Original review: Facebook
"Elaine is THE REAL DEAL!!! She was the best guide to have for everything I needed to know and do about traveling with my dog. I am so grateful to have found her and Pet Relocation International. She will be there for you through out the entire process!!! Thank you for putting your heart into what you do for our fur babies!!!"